Denny Hamlin has described Shane van Gisbergen’s NASCAR playoffs exit as “crushing” after the Trackhouse Racing driver lost the final spot in the 2026 NASCAR playoffs at Daytona International Speedway.
Van Gisbergen entered the Coke Zero Sugar 400 holding the 16th and final NASCAR playoffs position, with a 31-point lead over Ryan Preece. He also won the opening stage, putting himself in a strong position to secure his place in the NASCAR playoffs.
However, the race changed in the final laps. Preece went on to win his first Cup Series points race, while van Gisbergen finished 28th after getting caught in the final-lap crash. The result sent Preece into the NASCAR playoffs and ended van Gisbergen’s hopes after 26 regular-season races.
Denny Hamlin Calls NASCAR Playoffs Exit ‘Crushing’
Speaking on his “Actions Detrimental” podcast, Denny Hamlin said van Gisbergen’s NASCAR playoffs exit was especially difficult because of how long he had held a postseason position.
“I mean, crushing for SVG, right?”
“I mean, he had been in the top 16 for the last, felt like, months. And I think he never looked back from there. He was inside the top group from that point on.”
Van Gisbergen had also done what he needed early at Daytona. He won the opening stage and collected valuable points while Preece had to recover from an early incident. That advantage disappeared during the closing stages of the NASCAR race.
Shane van Gisbergen Loses NASCAR Playoffs Spot
The NASCAR playoffs battle came down to the final lap of overtime. Preece survived the late chaos and took the victory, which gave him the final NASCAR playoffs position.
Van Gisbergen was caught in a multi-car crash on the backstretch during the final lap. His 28th-place finish left him unable to regain the position he had held before the race.
Hamlin said he noticed how difficult the result was for van Gisbergen, even though the Trackhouse driver did not show much emotion.
“So I could tell he was upset about it, but he didn’t let it show.”
The result also left Trackhouse Racing without a driver in the NASCAR playoffs.
“It’s tough for Trackhouse, too. That was the only car that you were going to have representing you in the playoffs.”
Ryan Preece Wins and Reaches NASCAR Playoffs
Ryan Preece needed to win the Daytona race to move into the NASCAR playoffs, and he did exactly that. The victory changed the final postseason picture in the last race of the regular season.
“And I’m going to say playoffs until Chase finally catches on.”
“There were no other surprises that got in or out. It was just those two that switched. And I mean, the switch just in the final race.”
Hamlin also pointed to the way the NASCAR playoffs field was decided after 26 races.
“It just shows that, like, you don’t need all this other manufactured drama and gimmicks and stuff, right? To have, like, that big moment. And it’s cool when it’s authentic, right?”
“Over 26 races, it then came down to the last one. And he had to win.”
Preece did exactly that.
“Yeah, it was a proper winning in.”
Denny Hamlin Says Shane van Gisbergen’s NASCAR Playoffs Exit Was ‘Crushing’ After Daytona Disaster