(Jonathan Fjeld/Roundtable) Jonathan Fjeld Mon, October 19, 2026 at 12:56 AM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Fate seemingly doesn't want Denny Hamlin to win a NASCAR Cup Series championship and his fortunes didn't improve Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.
Hamlin finished 28th, one lap down, after a series of events tossed aside a promising day for him and his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team.
Hamlin started the day in fourth and fell back to sixth before the first caution of the race. Then, a two-tire call by crew chief Chris Gayle lifted him to the lead. By the end of the stage, he was second -- earning nine bonus points and seizing upon Larson's struggles.
The call came at a cost. Gayle had to bring him in for four tires while the top-seven drivers took two. On top of it, Hamlin came out behind four other drivers on four tires.
Hamlin had a rough restart that shuffled him back to 16th, where he raced Larson for the first time all day. However, Hamlin regrouped and was up to 13th, 39 laps into the run.
Hamlin maintained in 13th but complained the car was "too tight overall". Still, during a lap 163 restart, he maintained 12th and moved up to eighth when the stage ended on lap 185.
Things only got better. Hamlin's crew gained him three spots, allowing him to start the final stage in fifth. Driver matched the crew's effort, gaining a spot to be fourth as the race settled into a groove.
Then, on lap 220, Hamlin had to frantically go from the top of the track all the way to the bottom -- in front of oncoming traffic -- to get to pit road with a blown tire.
Two laps later, the caution fell for Cody Ware crashing that seemed to give Hamlin the break he needed.
"You know I'm thinking that this not ideal. But, I'm thinking, alright we're just going to be early on this green flag sequence and probably will come out with the lead for a portion of time and a caution comes out, we pit for the last set of tires and we'll be out in front," Hamlin reflected after the race.
However, NASCAR timing and scoring revealed Erik Jones received the free pass because Hamlin was speeding on pit road.
"I tried my best to keep it off the wall, I was out of control, I had no brakes to stop because I don't have any rear tires, obviously, so that led to some very unfortunate circumstances," Hamlin explained after the race.
Hamlin not only was ineligible for the free pass but he was ineligible for the wave around to get back on to the lead lap when the race resumed on lap 230.
The race went into a long run where Hamlin's employee, Bubba Wallace, started chopping through the field and put Hamlin in a tough spot to try and get the free pass.
When a caution finally fell, on lap 284 for Larson crashing in turn one, Hamlin wasn't in the free pass position and was stuck a lap down for what became the final restart on lap 290.
Hamlin was the first driver off of the lead lap. If he got a caution, he would get back on the lead lap.
However, driving the same blue Progressive car as last year at Phoenix, fate felled another cruel hand to him.
While racing for the championship last year, a caution fell when he didn't need it in the closing laps. That cost him the championship.
While racing for the championship last year, a caution fell when he didn't need it in the closing laps. That could cost him the championship, now fourth in points and 31 points out of the lead with three races to go.
"Some things are meant to be. Some things are not meant to be. There have been so many cards that have been dealt in my career... in the Chase, nothing surprises me anymore. Nothing surprises me. It's not like, I'm not shellshocked because I've been here," Hamlin said.
Larson leads Christopher Bell by five points, Chase Briscoe by 24, Hamlin by 31, Ryan Blaney by 40, Joey Logano by 44 and Tyler Reddick by 56, heading into Talladega Superspeedway where his fate is in really anyone's hands.
"It's about our day. Not about others' days and we just have not finished races to the best of our capability. So if we can starting doing that, like in a really big hurry, then you never know what's going to happen," Hamlin said.
Martinsville Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway remain after Talladega. Hamlin dominated the spring Martinsville race and has run well at Homestead-Miami before.
Source: Sports
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