The iconic Brickyard 400 has concluded, and NASCAR veteran Denny Hamlin had a mixed weekend, one of reflection and celebration.
Things did not kick off at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as he had probably hoped. Hamlin was the last to come out for the qualifying session and had tremendous pace. In fact, at the exit of Turn 2, he was nearly three tenths faster than Chase Briscoe, who had pulled off the fastest lap until then. But to Hamlin’s misfortune, he crashed into the outside wall, spinning across the track and slamming into the inside wall.
The damage to the No. 11 was beyond repair, forcing them to pull out the backup car, as Hamlin started last on the grid. Still, he managed to salvage the situation in the race, but not enough to bag a win, which he’s been awaiting for so long now. However, he was still on track, kissing the bricks as Hamlin’s 23XI driver Bubba Wallace ran a dream run at the Brickyard 400.
Denny Hamlin Was Left With Mixed Feelings at Indy Despite Kissing the Bricks
For the longest time, Hamlin has wanted to win the Brickyard 400, as that is the only Crown Jewel event that he hasn’t won yet in his Cup career. He won the Daytona 500 thrice (2016, 2019, 2020), the Southern 500 thrice (2010, 2017, 2021), and the Coca-Cola 600 once in 2022.
However, in the 17 Brickyard 400s he has run so far, Hamlin’s best has only been a P3. And he’s gotten that on four occasions, most recently in 2025. But still, the Joe Gibbs driver fought hard for this one. Starting last, he still climbed positions quickly, finishing 18th in Stage 1 and 3rd in Stage 2.
Naturally, he was bummed out for missing out on that famous Brickyard kiss as a driver, but he did get it as a team owner! Wallace pulled off one of his best runs in NASCAR so far, starting the iconic race in P2, and holding off the race’s defending winner, Kyle Larson, in not one, but two overtime restarts. After which, Wallace and Hamlin posed for that iconic photo at the bricks.
After wrecking in qualifying, Denny Hamlin knew his chances of winning the Brickyard 400 were slim.
The next best thing for Hamlin was 23XI Racing winning.
“I’m going to be kissing the bricks in street clothes rather than a driver suit.”https://t.co/vxGDhumSPQ
— Dustin Albino (@DustinAlbino) July 28, 2025
But still, Hamlin wanted it for his No. 11 team, which has been with him for so long, year in and year out. As Jayski reported, the veteran was left conflicted with his feelings post-Indy.
He said, “I know that there is a part of me out there. It’s not my car number, and it sucks that it’s not my [11 team] out there doing it, but I’m still gratified because I took my chances of winning out yesterday. I knew the possibility of winning from the back here was so small…I was content with getting a good finish and hoped one of the 23XI cars that qualified up front could execute a good day. It looked like the [Nos.] 23 and 45 executed a good day.”
Read More: Denny Hamlin Breaks Silence After Major Indy Setback
That’s precisely what happened! With only four races remaining in the regular season, Wallace has booked a spot in the playoffs, ending his 100-race dry spell. Even Tyler Reddick would most likely make the playoffs. He is 6th in the driver’s standings, just 71 points behind the tournament leader, Chase Elliott. Even being winless, he would probably point his way in if he gets consistent top finishes and there aren’t more than two new winners.
So, at the end of the Indy weekend, Hamlin still has much to celebrate. Also, it’s not like he didn’t have anything to celebrate. He got a P3 finish in a backup car after starting last, and not just that, he also pulled off the race’s fastest lap in it. So that’s still commendable.
