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The appeals panel has answered a big question. It has made its decision regarding the behavioral penalties issued to Denny Hamlin after an incident at Phoenix Raceway.
According to a press release, the appeals panel heard Hamlin’s testimony. It determined that he violated Section 4.4 — NASCAR Member Code of Conduct Penalty Options and Guidelines — of the NASCAR Rule Book. The panel upheld the original $50,000 fine and the loss of 25 driver points.
Hamlin could have gone a step further after meeting with the appeals panel — Mr. Hunter Nickell, Mr. Dale Pinilis, and Ms. Lyn St. James. He could have taken his case to the final appeals officer in another attempt to overturn the penalties. However, Joe Gibbs Racing said that Hamlin would not pursue this option.
The Incident Occurred Late at Phoenix Raceway
GettyDenny Hamlin prepares for a race at Texas Motor Speedway.
The penalties stem from an incident that occurred on the final lap at Phoenix Raceway. Hamlin was racing on two tires when he suddenly collided with Ross Chastain and squeezed the No. 1 into the wall. Both drivers fell out of the top 20 after running solidly inside the top five for most of the day.
There were questions about the incident in the immediate aftermath of the trip to Phoenix Raceway. Though Hamlin provided an answer the next day with an episode of his “Actions Detrimental” podcast.
The veteran Cup Series driver revealed that he had intentionally fenced Chastain on the final lap. He said that the car was plowing and that he wouldn’t be able to deliver a strong finish, so he decided to take the No. 1 with him.
The sanctioning body heard this podcast, so it decided to respond. It issued a penalty while saying that Hamlin violated the sections that cover: “B. Attempting to manipulate the outcome of the Race or championship. Wrecking or spinning another vehicle, whether or not that vehicle is removed from Competition as a result; and D. Actions by a NASCAR Member that NASCAR finds to be detrimental to stock car racing or NASCAR.”
Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s Senior VP of Competition, weighed in after the penalty report was sent out. He said that the officials viewed the contact with Chastain as a racing incident. However, they changed their opinion after hearing Hamlin’s podcast.
“But when you start admitting you have intentionally done something that would compromise the results of the end of the race, then that rises to the level that we’re going to get involved,” Sawyer said on March 15.
“There’s no other way to look at that. We’re going to get involved in those situations. We’ve been consistent in the past with that, and we will be consistent going forward.”
Hamlin Has Work Ahead of Him
With the appeals panel upholding the penalty, Hamlin has more work ahead of him. He currently sits 12th in the championship standings and in a tie with Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney. Both are eight points behind Brad Keselowski, who holds the 10th spot.
This is better than Justin Haley, who lost 75 points after an L2-Level penalty and an appeal, but it keeps the driver of the No. 11 out of contention for the regular-season championship.
Hamlin has multiple more opportunities to stack points in the coming weeks, starting with the trip to Bristol Motor Speedway. He has run well throughout the 2023 season. Though he has only secured two top-10 finishes after some late-race circumstances. The contact with Chastain at Phoenix Raceway and a 20-second pit stop at Richmond Raceway are prominent examples.
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