RADIO
Don't Think Denny Hamlin's Engine Failure Affects his Championship Prospects
In a Martinsville race that didn't mean much for Denny Hamlin since he had already locked himself into the Championship 4, Hamlin and his teammate, Chase Briscoe, who had also advanced, both blew engines, as did fellow Toyota driver Riley Herbst. Obviously, since the two Toyota drivers who advanced both blew engines while none of the other Toyota drivers did, except for Herbst, who has literally nothing at stake, it seems obvious that Toyota as an organization was trying some aggressive setups to prepare for the championship finale at Phoenix. This is why fans should stop looking at full-season points to evaluate driver performance when teams are responding to the current playoff format. With Penske failing to advance and Hamlin having three weeks to prepare for Phoenix after his win at Las Vegas, he's probably the championship favorite.
Source: Racing Reference
Source: Racing Reference
