Denny Hamlin suffers disastrous wreck in practice at Martinsville after throttle gets stuck

This is not what Denny Hamlin wanted facing elimination at Martinsville. He is going to go to a backup car after a wreck in NASCAR practice. After his throttle got stuck going into Turn 3, Hamlin ended up in the wall.

Get this, Denny Hamlin had the fastest time in practice prior to his wreck. An extended 45-minute practice for the Cup Series. A new tire compound is being used to create more tire wear.

A backup car will be needed, Hamlin will start in the rear, and he will have a hell of a time coming from the rear to win his way into the Championship 4. He was fuming after the wreck.

A look at the incident. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Mcl4hNoFZw

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 2, 2024

Denny Hamlin can hypothetically point his way into the Championship 4. However, the plan going into the weekend was more or less go out and win. Leave no doubt. At the time of the wreck, Hamlin was top of the speed chart in practice.

Since his wreck, Hamlin has only dropped two spots. Martin Truex Jr. is the fastest. Get this, Corey LaJoie is second fastest for Rick Ware Racing in the No. 51 car. How about that for a playoff surprise?

While Denny Hamlin is in a tough spot, he could be doing worse. His car was actually fast. Despite the wreck, his team is working on the primary car as much as they can. When Hamlin wrecked, he backed into the wall. So, at least he saved that fast engine, right?

Denny Hamlin will have to fight at Martinsville

A new tire compound, a softer compound, is supposed to make the racing better. We should see more passing based on fresher or older tires. While he is starting in the rear and nothing will be easy, he might have a chance if these tires can produce fall-off and Hamlin can show off his tire management skills.

We saw it at Bristol. Hamlin is an expert at tire conservation. It is one of his strong suits. In the past in the Cup Series that is why he has been strong at tracks like Martinsville. His team will have a long night ahead of them.

No matter what, Sunday is going to be a marathon. 500 laps. Hamlin will have a bad pit stall more than likely since he won’t get to pick until last. It isn’t an ideal way to make a push for Phoenix, but it is the hand he has been dealt.

Denny Hamlin said afterward that his team found a piece of rubber in the throttle body. That led to a delay in the throttle and ultimately, the wreck. Hamlin managed to back it into the wall and now crew chief Chris Gabehart is working to maintain the primary car.