Denny Hamlin pushed the car a little too much in NASCAR Cup Series qualifying for the Brickyard 400 on July 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Hamlin brushed the wall off of turn 2 and spun at the entry of the backstretch, pounding the inside wall.
The No. 11 Toyota suffered major damage to the front of the car, and Hamlin will go to a backup car for Sunday’s race.
Hamlin topped the charts in practice earlier Saturday, but the crash dropped him down to a 39th-place starting spot at a track where track position is so valuable.
Joe Gibbs Racing confirmed that Hamlin was evaluated and released from the infield care center after the major contact with the inside wall.
Hamlin and JGR announced a multi-year contract extension on July 25 through at least 2027. The 44-year-old leads the Cup Series in victories this season with four, including last week’s win at Dover.
