NASCAR Responds to Controversy Over Denny Hamlin’s Restart at Richmond Raceway

Following the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway, there was controversy surrounding Denny Hamlin’s final restart in overtime, with claims that he jumped the restart.

The race went into overtime after Kyle Larson spun out with just two laps remaining.

In NASCAR, there are designated restart zones on each track. The leader of the race must accelerate between the beginning or end of that zone when restarting.

On the final restart in overtime, Hamlin appeared to roll quicker to the restart line, gaining an advantage over Martin Truex Jr., who was on his outside. As they entered turn one, Truex Jr. squeezed Hamlin, forcing him wide as they exited turn two.

Truex Jr. expressed his frustration after the race, even running into the back of Hamlin’s car to show his anger.

Several other drivers, including Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer, voiced their opinions, with Harvick stating that Hamlin rolled before the line, and Bowyer acknowledging that Hamlin won the race but was critical of his tactics.

Hamlin defended his actions, stating that he took off early because he saw the other drivers rolling towards him, trying to gain an advantage.

He admitted that he may have restarted a few feet early but emphasized that it’s not uncommon for drivers to fire early on late-race restarts to maintain their advantage.

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NASCAR officials reviewed the restart and deemed it acceptable, considering Hamlin the control vehicle. Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s Vice President of Officiating and Technical Inspection, confirmed the decision, stating that while Hamlin may have rolled early, it was within acceptable limits for a late-race restart.

Sawyer emphasized that NASCAR doesn’t have the luxury of timeouts or breaks to review such incidents during live sporting events and that the outcome could have been different if it occurred earlier in the race.

Overall, NASCAR stood by the call and emphasized that Hamlin’s team had earned the advantage through their performance on pit road.