The first-ever NASCAR In-season tournament hasn’t brought glad tidings for Denny Hamlin, whose luck seems to have gone from bad to worse. In Atlanta last weekend, the No. 11 driver was the No. 1-seeded driver for the tournament, but an incident involving him and John Hunter Nemechek sent him out of the race, allowing No. 32-seeded driver Ty Dillon to advance into the second round.
Taking to the streets of Chicago, Hamlin hoped for a positive turn of events, but the reality couldn’t be more different. Internal issues with the car meant he could hardly even complete a lap around the 2.2-mile circuit during practice before his day ended.
Denny Hamlin’s Chicago Weekend Goes From Bad To Worse
The Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) driver was on his way to start practice for the upcoming Grant Park 165 with Group 1 of drivers. However, his session ended before he could push off for a flying lap, thanks to internal issues with the No. 11 JGR Toyota entry.
There was no external contact that could have damaged the internal components, as Hamlin’s car started smoking and dumping oil before spinning out. The mechanical failure was particularly frustrating, given the importance of practice time on Chicago’s challenging street circuit.
Speaking to TNT Sports about the same, Hamlin talked about how drivers always want to be in control of their racing machines. Drivers don’t want mechanical failures keeping them away from positive results, particularly because they spend hours practicing and getting ready.
He said, “We want to be in control of our result. You don’t want to have mechanical (issues) stop you from that, and obviously, this is a race track where it’s important to have reps. We spend hours upon hours practicing, getting ready, all that stuff, and you know, couldn’t even make a pace lap before we blew up.”
The @truTV crew catches up with @dennyhamlin following his issues early in practice. pic.twitter.com/1xp5u2x7bI
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 5, 2025
This isn’t Hamlin’s first mechanical failure of 2025. He suffered a similar fate at the Texas Motor Speedway and the Kansas Speedway, with both races ending in disappointment for the 23XI Racing co-owner. The pattern of mechanical issues has become a concerning trend for the veteran driver, who entered the season with high expectations.
Uphill Battle Ahead for Tournament Hopes
Having spent no time in practice, Hamlin will now have to start the Chicago race from the back of the field. While it will already be tough for him to push through the field, his job will become tougher given the No. 11 driver’s history on the street circuit.
He started the first-ever Chicago Street Race in 2023 from pole position, but the race quickly unraveled, and he crashed on the race’s second lap. Having made repairs, Hamlin returned to the track, and the No. 11 driver could only manage a P11 finish. The crash cost him valuable points and momentum early in that inaugural street race.
Read More: Denny Hamlin Admits, ‘Maybe It Was My Fault’ After Massive 23-Car Atlanta Pileup
Last year was a race to forget for the JGR driver, having finished in P30 after a disastrous weekend. The combination of setup struggles and track position issues plagued his entire Chicago experience in 2024.
With the In-season tournament format adding extra pressure, Hamlin’s mechanical woes couldn’t have come at a worse time. The tournament structure means every position matters more than usual, and starting from the back puts him at a significant disadvantage. His team will need to find speed quickly during qualifying and hope for a clean race to salvage anything from this weekend.
The street course’s narrow confines and limited passing opportunities make track position crucial. Without practice time to dial in the setup, Hamlin and his crew chief will be working blindly on race strategy and car adjustments.
