NASCAR hits Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott and others with brutal penalties early at Richmond

Bad news for a trio of top drivers in Stage 1 at Richmond Raceway. Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and AJ Allmendinger had penalties. On the pit stops following the finish of Stage 1, NASCAR handed out a few citations on some top teams.

NASCAR got Denny Hamlin for speeding, AJ Allmendinger for equipment interference, and Chase Elliott for vehicle interference. That is pretty much every penalty that you can rack up on pit road besides over-the-wall penalties.

These drivers will have to get creative or drive their asses off to make up the difference. Coming off of a strong Stage 1, especially for Hamlin and Allmendinger, it is a tough pill to swallow.

Ty Gibbs also received a pit road penalty in all of the chaos. The good news for these drivers is that the tires on the car make it possible to race through the field. We are seeing the best cars rise to the top of the field, and that is no coincidence.

We have seen a lot of great action in the race tonight so far. That will only ramp up as these drivers get desperate late in the race. Can someone win their way into the playoffs tonight?

Last year, we saw the wild finish that ended in Austin Dillon winning, but having his playoff status revoked. What surprises await us tonight?

Denny Hamlin racing through the field

Already in the second stage, we have seen Denny Hamlin, AJ Allmendinger, and others bounce back from these early penalties. But others have had more troubles. Kyle Busch has had multiple penalties on the track so far tonight. It makes his quest for a win that much more difficult.

Hamlin is going to have to beat his own drivers tonight if he wants to win. Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick have controlled much of the second stage of this race. Wallace has looked fantastic all night long.

Hamlin is a short-track racer. These softer tires play into his strengths. He knows how to save and save and save his tires like Joey Logano knows how to save fuel. Tonight’s race is going to end with a wild finish. There are so many drivers who could ostensibly win tonight.

With how great Denny Hamlin has been on the short tracks all year, it won’t be a shock to see him drive back up to the front. With 55 laps to go in the second stage, Hamlin has moved back into the top-10 and is picking cars off every lap.