Denny Hamlin sees NASCAR points penalty, $50K fine upheld

Denny Hamlin’s appeal attempt has been deemed unsuccessful.

The National Motorsports Appeals Panel agreed with NASCAR on Thursday afternoon, announcing that the Cup Series driver of the No. 11 car will still have to pay a $50,000 fine and suffer the loss of 25 driver points for violating the NASCAR rule book after the race at Phoenix Raceway last month.

NASCAR originally found that Hamlin “attempted to manipulate the outcome of the race or championship” after nudging Ross Chastain into the fence late in the March 12 race. (Hamlin and Chastain have had a rough relationship on the track since Chastain’s full-time introduction in the Cup Series in 2022.)

The move seemed void of blatant intention on first glance. But the next day, Hamlin suggested on his new podcast — ironically titled “Actions Detrimental” — that his run at Chastain was intentional.

“I’m about to get passed by everybody behind me who’s on fresh tires,” Hamlin explained on the podcast episode. “I’m about to finish in the mid-teens. And I said (to Chastain), ‘You’re coming with me buddy.’ ”

NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer told reporters at the time of NASCAR’s penalty announcement a few weeks ago that if Hamlin hadn’t explained the move on his podcast, it would’ve been “viewed as a racing incident.” But Hamlin’s admission forced NASCAR’s hand.

Drivers in the garage area reacted to the penalty after it came down. Kevin Harvick said “it’s like going to court and saying you’re guilty. I mean, it’s tough to respond differently when the plea is already guilty.”

Said Kyle Busch at the time: “Keep your mouth shut. Simple as that.”

The National Motorsports Appeals Panel members residing over Hamlin’s case were Hunter Nickell, Dale Pinilis and Lyn St. James.

This marks the NASCAR world’s third appeals decision in two weeks — and the second in as many days.

The first came last week, when the appeals panel determined that all of the points penalties Hendrick Motorsports suffered should be rescinded, despite the fact that the appeals panel agreed that HMS did, in fact, break a NASCAR rule when it modified a single-source supplied part (hood louvers).

The second came Wednesday, when the appeals panel ruled that Kaulig Racing violated the same rule that Hendrick Motorsports did. (Kaulig Racing — unlike HMS, though — didn’t have all of its points rescinded. Kaulig’s president Chris Rice announced on Thursday that the company will make one last appeal to the final appeals officer, which in this case is Langley Speedway promoter Bill Mullis.)