Denny Hamlin explains what caused engine to blow up, miscommunication with ‘Cowboys’ code word at Texas

Denny Hamlin had a short day at Texas Motor Speedway as the engine of his No. 11 car caught on fire during Stage 1 of the NASCAR Cup Series race. Shortly after the incident, Hamlin spoke to reporters about what caused the fire.

“Just the lap before, it started misting,” Denny Hamlin said, per Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. And when asked if he received any warning about the fire, Hamlin said, “No, not really. It just blew up.”

Before the fire, Hamlin was penalized for speeding on pit road. He went down pit road twice because too many people talking on the radio at the same time and he heard the “Cowboys” code name.

“You can’t call a team that’s the same f***ing name as another …. Never mind,” Hamlin said on the radio. “You boys were talking over each other, and I heard ‘Cowboys,’ and obviously I looked at my card.”

Denny Hamlin has had a strong first half to the 2025 NASCAR season

Hamlin also explained to reporters what happened with the “Cowboys” code word mishap. He said it was “Miscommunication between me and the team. They gave me a code, and it was too close to another code just got mixed up there.”

It’s a tough break for Hamlin who was looking to bounce back after a P21 finish at Talladega last week. However, the 44-year-old has performed well in the first half of the regular season, as he’s won two races in finished in the top 10 in six races.

After winning the Martinsville race in March, Hamlin talked about driving at a high level at 44 years old. ” I probably am the King of Irrational Confidence. I mean, generally speaking, I know that when I got the car to do it, I can be the best, so…I haven’t felt like I’ve held back the car at any point. Certainly, I’m not immune to understanding that Father Time is undefeated. Everything that I need to be good to be a race car driver is still really sharp. I feel like it hasn’t happened yet. It will, but not yet.”