Denny Hamlin was sent into a freefall in the opening laps of the Bass Pro Shops Bristol Night Race as Bubba Wallace threw him into a nightmare scenario
Denny Hamlin had a tough start to the Bristol Night Race(Image: Getty)
Denny Hamlin found himself in a nightmare scenario during the opening laps of the Bass Pro Shops Bristol Night Race, thanks to Bubba Wallace.
Hamlin, who started the race in sixth place with Wallace close behind in eighth, had already secured his spot in the next round of the Cup Series playoffs after last week’s victory and had even announced his retirement date following his recent success.
Wallace, on the other hand, came into Bristol in a strong position, almost guaranteed to advance to the Round of 12. He had big plans for college football before the race.
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In the initial laps, Wallace managed to get to the left rear of Hamlin’s Toyota, forcing him wide and passing him on the inside.
This triggered a disastrous few laps for Hamlin, who couldn’t get back to the preferred inside line. Wallace’s move paved the way for several cars, including playoff rivals Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Christopher Bell, to pass him, reports the Express US.
Bubba Wallace got off to a strong start at Bristol(Image: Getty)
Hamlin eventually plummeted seven spots down to 13th place, where he finally managed to get to the inside line ahead of Alex Bowman and overtake the Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 48 car.
Hamlin wasn’t the only playoff driver to struggle early on, as Joey Logano also fell 11 spots to 33rd place, putting him in a risky position on the playoff bubble.
Hamlin anticipated tire issues as several cars ahead of him fell off, allowing him to climb back into the top 10.
The race was eventually stopped to allow Hamlin to regroup after Josh Berry’s car caught fire, ending his race and playoffs.
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AJ Allmendinger initially led the race from pole position but fell behind due to tire issues, while Hamlin’s JGR teammate Ty Gibbs took the lead.
Only nine cars, including those of Wallace and Hamlin, remained on the lead lap as pit stops unfolded and Berry’s incident caused disruption. When the race resumed on lap 108 following Bowman’s spin out, Hamlin was in seventh place with Wallace slightly ahead in sixth, keeping them both in contention after the exciting initial laps.
Wallace finished the first stage in fourth place, earning seven stage points, while Hamlin ended up in 11th place, missing out on any additional stage points.
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