Sonoma Raceway bit Denny Hamlin again Sunday afternoon.
He blew an engine in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry after completing only two laps in the NASCAR Cup Series’ Toyota/Save Mart 350.
“No, nothing,” Hamlin said of there being an indication something was wrong. “It’s just the gearing is a little weird for the track. It’s a lot of high-end RPM stuff, but the same as everyone else and I’m just not really sure. They’ll look at it and figure it out, but certainly not ideal.”
Hamlin started 25th and was running 29th when the engine blew. He started the day as the championship point leader but only 21 points ahead of Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson. The early exit will net Hamlin only one point for his efforts.
As the first driver out of the race on Sunday, Hamlin will finish last (38th place). It is the third consecutive year Hamlin will finish outside the top 30 at Sonoma Raceway and the second consecutive year he’s failed to finish the race.