Denny Hamlin probably wasn't happy with just another top-five at Texas, as he continues his push for the 2023 Cup Championship. The driver of the No.11 looked like he could win Sunday's race at Texas until his hopes were dashed when he and teammate Ty Gibbs made hard contact while leaving pit lane.
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Hamlin suffered damage, but it wasn't enough to end his day. The incident knocked rookie Gibbs out of the race.
Following the race, Hamlin spoke with Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass about what happened, and how he doesn't blame Gibbs for the incident.
Denny Hamlin describes what happened when he had contact with Ty Gibbs on pit road. pic.twitter.com/y2nZ1UVGkq
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 25, 2023
"I mean it definitely took speed out of our car and hate it for Ty, certainly, it destroyed his car," Hamlin said. "I had the changer from the 2 (Cindric), I was trying to avoid him. He had just stood up to go around the left side of the car so I had to swing out to avoid him and you know, we were three wide there."
Incidents have become a very common thing on the pit lane, as Hendrick Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson can attest to.
There wasn't much anyone could do in that situation. Hamlin clearly understood that there wasn't anything he could have done differently and that he was sorry it ended Ty's day.
"Yeah, it's just a tough circumstance for everyone. Certainly, in Ty's position, he's trying to race the guy off pit road that he's side-by-side with and he knows I'm coming out but he doesn't know how far so it's a very tough spot to be in for sure," Hamlin said.
The pit road incident with his teammate didn't end Hamlin's championship hopes—he currently sits second in the playoff standings. Hamlin has been on fire of late, so it's just one of those situations where he is putting it behind him and is moving on in his championship hunt.
