Denny Hamlin faces setbacks during Phoenix race, finishes 28th
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Oct 19, 2026, 1:29 AM
Last updated Oct 19, 2026
Denny Hamlin's championship hopes suffered a blow on October 18 during the Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway. After starting fourth and running third, Hamlin was plagued by a flat tire and a pit-road speeding penalty, resulting in a 28th-place finish. Although he gained 18 points on Kyle Larson, who finished 34th, Hamlin now trails by 31 points with three races left in the Chase. Hamlin expressed disappointment in his team’s inability to capitalize on a strong car performance in the second half of the race.
- •Hamlin finishes 28th after flat tire and pit penalty
- •Gains 18 points on Larson, who finishes 34th
- •Trails Larson by 31 points with three races left
- •Hamlin had strong performance before setbacks
- •Missed opportunity to reshape championship positioning
- 1:29 AMYahoo Sports — Denny Hamlin’s NASCAR Championship Hopes Take Another Hit at Phoenix
"Denny Hamlin had a golden opportunity to close the gap on Kyle Larson at Phoenix Raceway. A flat tire and pit-road penalty turned it into a costly afternoon.
Sources
External linksOriginal reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
NASCAR•Oct 19, 2026, 2:26 AMBubba Wallace Left Heartbroken After NASCAR Win Slips Away at Phoenix
NASCAR•Oct 19, 2026, 2:14 AMTyler Reddick wins in Phoenix as Kyle Larson fails to finish
NASCAR•Oct 19, 2026, 1:21 AMToyota clinches 2026 NASCAR Cup manufacturer championship early after dominant season
NASCAR•Oct 19, 2026, 12:15 AMTyler Reddick returns to Victory Lane in Chase-changing race at Phoenix
NASCAR•Oct 18, 2026, 11:49 PMTire Issues Cause Drama For The Dillon Brothers at Phoenix
NASCAR•Oct 18, 2026, 6:49 PMNASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix: Starting lineup, TV schedule for today's race