Skip to main content
Join Now
NASCAR Logo

Denny Hamlin baffled by NASCAR scoring in wake of massive Atlanta wreck: 'Somebody needs to clarify'

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones06/30/25brianjones_93
NASCAR Atlanta (1)
Krista Jasso/Getty Images

Denny Hamlin had some questions for NASCAR after he was involved in a big wreck at the Atlanta race. On the Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin was asked about NASCAR scoring when drivers are taken out after a major accident.

“I’m in the garage, and they said, ‘Hey, you can pass the 24, the 22, blah, blah, blah.’ I’m like, ‘Wait a minute, I was ahead of them when we all crashed,” Denny Hamlin said. “We were all on the hook; we all rolled to DVP, so how are they scored ahead of me? It’s why we spent two hours fixing our car is to beat the cars that we’re already ahead of when we crashed.

“I guess I’m really not sure how that is. …Usually when you crash, if none of you cross the start/finish line again, it’s wherever you were scored right before the crash. It’s wherever you were on the last loop green flag or it’s the start/finish. They were all crashed behind me. Let’s just pretend I started this wreck, I’m at the front of the field, they’re at the back, I don’t know how they ended up leapfrogging me unless they got towed from the other direction and crossed the start/finish line? It doesn’t seem like it would make sense. Somebody needs to clarify for me.”

Denny Hamlin breaks down the ‘Big One’ in Atlanta

The wreck damaged 22 of the 40 cars. After the wreck, Hamlin explained what happened. “All of us were in the top line pushing off Turn 2. Some zigged, some zagged, most crashed,” Denny Hamlin said. “I don’t know. I was on the bumper of the 42 (John Hunter Nemechek); he was on the bumper of somebody else in front of him. We all just got to speedway pushing zigging and zagging, and we all crashed. Just part of it, and now we go watch the rest of the race.”

Hamlin earned a P31 finish at the Atlanta race on Saturday night. It was a tough break for the No. 11 team, but the 2025 season has been strong for them. In 17 races, Hamlin has won three races, finished in the top 10 nine times and finished in the top five eight times. He is fourth in Cup points and 80 points behind the leader, William Byron.