Denny Hamlin was trending for the pole position at the time of the crash at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
This weekend, NASCAR is racing at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 2.5-mile is hosting the Brickyard 400 for the NASCAR Cup Series.
Denny Hamlin opened the race weekend with a big announcement. He has signed a multi-year contract extension to continue driving the No. 11 for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Denny Hamlin said he was ‘scared’ going into the 2025 season
He then opened the Saturday program at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by topping the times sheet in practice.
Directly following practice, drivers rolled to the track for qualifying. Multiple drivers were suffering with loose machines and they made light contact with the wall.
Denny Hamlin was the last car to roll to the track in qualifying. He was pacing for the pole position, up by nearly two tenths of a second.
Exiting turn two, it all went wrong. Hamlin ran wide, the backend stepped out and he slammed the outside wall.
With the suspension broken on impact, the car turned across the track. Hamlin slammed the inside wall, nose first before coming to a stop in the grass.
“That was a hard hit,” Dale Earnhardt Jr stated.
Denny Hamlin stated over the team radio, “Apologizes, guys.”
The No. 11 team will likely need to unload the backup car for Sunday’s race.
Hamlin drove to victory lane last weekend at Dover Motor Speedway. The 44-year-old claimed his 58th career win in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Indianapolis Starting Lineup: July 2025 (NASCAR Cup Series)
