Frustrated Denny Hamlin slams helmet after Martinsville practice wreck

Denny Hamlin entered Martinsville in a must-win situation this weekend, but his time in Virginia is off to a dreadful start.

During Saturday’s practice session, Hamlin wrecked his No. 11 Toyota, destroying the rear of the car and forcing his team to go to a backup ride for Sunday’s race. After getting back to the garage, Hamlin wasn’t shy about his frustration, slamming his helmet down with serious vigor on the roof of the wrecked vehicle.

Prior to the wreck, Hamlin had the fastest time in practice, adding insult to injury. Check out the video of the moment below, shared to X by Noah Lewis of TSJ Sports, as Hamlin realizes he has no other option but coming all the way through the field during the Xfinity 500.

VERY upset @DennyHamlin slams his helmet down after practice crash.

They will go to a backup car. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/re3aCriamJ

— Noah Lewis (@Noah_Lewis1) November 2, 2024

“VERY upset @DennyHamlin slams his helmet down after practice crash,” Lewis wrote, accompanying the video. “They will go to a backup car.”

Alas, Hamlin is currently 18 points below the cut-line in the Round of 8, and he’ll likely have to win at Martinsville tomorrow to get to Phoenix, as there’s no chance he’ll be able to point his way in now, barring a miracle.

The outlook for Hamlin was already grim heading into this weekend’s festivities, with his biggest supporters questioning whether he could get to the Championship 4. During the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, the namesake, who picked Hamlin as his championship pick, evaluated where the veteran stands, and if he could pull off the win with his back against the wall.

“He has been good in this car too, at times. More than not, with this particular car. I think he can still point his way in,” Harvick said, regarding Hamlin’s potential and past at Martinsville. “There’s going to be somebody that goes on points. So I still think that he can point his way in, but I think it starts — you’re right, it does start in qualifying. … Qualifying will be important, because of that first stage and the points that go with everything. I think you’re going to have to score points. I think Christopher Bell is pretty safe, but I think Denny Hamlin’s point situation, I think he could, I don’t really know. I think they could go there and dominate. I think they could go there and be mediocre. None of it would surprise me. 

“If he went and laid an egg or if he went and dominated the race, neither one would surprise me at this particular point. So, I think it’s a virtual crapshoot as to who’s going to hit it.”

Denny Hamlin has overcome a ton in 2024, but this wreck might be the nail that seals his fate. Don’t count the No. 11 wheelman out yet, but the sun is getting low in Virginia.