Could Suspension of Two Pit Crew Members Affect Hamlin's Playoff Run?

Danny Hansen | Lumen Digital Agency for Toyota GAZOO Racing

While it's been a relatively smooth run for Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team through the opening 29 races of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, could a bit of adversity dealt to them on Tuesday change the trajectory of the season for the 44-year-old driver, who is seeking his first career NASCAR Cup Series championship?

NASCAR issued its weekly post-event penalty report on Tuesday evening, following last week's NASCAR National Series events at Bristol Motor Speedway. As expected, the lone penalty contained on the list was a two-race suspension for pit crew members on Hamlin's No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team.

A penalty has been issued following this past weekend's action at Bristol Motor Speedway. pic.twitter.com/lMmopqBa9L

— NASCAR Communications (@NASCAR_Comms) September 16, 2025

Hamlin, who leads the series with five wins through the opening 29 races of the year and is set to kick off the Round of 12 of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs as the No. 1 seed (+26 points to the cutline), will be without Front Tire Changer Austin Maloney and Jack Man Joel Bouganon for two NASCAR Cup Series Playoff events.

While the suspensions were set to kick off this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Joe Gibbs Racing has chosen to defer the penalties to start next weekend at Kansas Speedway.

The two pit crew members were levied a two-race suspension due to a detached right front wheel from the No. 11 Toyota on Lap 384 of last Saturday night's Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Officially, they were found to be in violation of NASCAR Rule Book sections 8.8.10.4.C, which pertains to the tires and wheels being improperly installed.

Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride
Nobody gonna slow me down
Oh no, I got to keep on moving

📺: @USANetwork pic.twitter.com/EqYvrgzklh

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 14, 2025

Hamlin and the No. 11 team were assessed a two-lap penalty in-race for the detached wheel. Following the in-race penalty, Hamlin, who had already secured advancement to the Round of 12 of the Playoffs due to a win at Gateway the week before Bristol, would go on to record a 31st-place finish, five laps off the pace.

Results: Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol

Like any of the top teams in the NASCAR Cup Series, Joe Gibbs Racing has a very deep bench, when it comes to pit crew members, so they'll likely have capable backups to take over for Maloney and Bouganon.

However, chemistry is a key component to fast pit stops in the NASCAR Cup Series, and having two new cogs in the situation could have a ripple effect on pit road over the next two weekends for Hamlin and the No. 11 team.

When you factor in that pit road has already been the Achilles heel for Hamlin over the years, as he is one of the most frequent violators of speeding on pit road, the driver could be compelled to try to make up time by pushing the limits next weekend at Kansas if he and the No. 11 team get off to a subpar start to the Round of 12 this weekend at New Hampshire. especially if the pit crew has a miscue during their pit stops.

With the Round of 12 set to end at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, a road course, which is very much not Hamlin's forte, it will be crucial for the driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE to be picture perfect through the opening two races of the round. While he has a seemingly comfortable 26-point advantage over the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs cutline, that advantage could become uncomfortable with one slip-up on the track or on pit road.

Hamlin, who always says he thrives in chaos, will likely have to overcome a hiccup at some point over the next two races. However, the driver, who is also the co-owner of the 23XI Racing team in the NASCAR Cup Series, has already been driving with the stress of a pending antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR weighing on him. A couple of new pit crew members over the next two weekends will likely not rank as stressful as the lawsuit, but it's a storyline to keep an eye on regardless.

*Editor's Note: This story was changed to reflect Joe Gibbs Racing's decision to defer the pit crew suspensions to begin next weekend at Kansas Speedway instead of this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.