NASCAR: Winners And Losers From Bristol

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Aug 21, 2016; Bristol, TN, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) during a rain delayed Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /

Loser: Denny Hamlin On Pit Road

There hasn’t been much that’s gone wrong for Joe Gibbs Racing this season. Kyle Busch has four wins. Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin all have two wins. It’s been a fairly dominant season for the Toyotas.

But Hamlin has had some issues on pit road–most notably with speeding penalties. After staying in contention early in the race, the No. 11 car was called back down pit road for his eighth speeding penalty of the season, which according to NBC’s Dustin Long, is the most out of any Cup Series driver this season.

#NASCAR ... That is the 8th speeding penalty on Denny Hamlin this season. That's the most of any Sprint Cup driver this year.@NASCARonNBC
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) August 21, 2016

They’ve already impacted Hamlin this year and have kept him out of races (Martinsville in April) that he potentially could’ve won. While it’s common to see driver’s receive a speeding penalty every now and then, it seems like Hamlin is almost always the recipient in races where he is in contention for the win.

Ultimately, Hamlin was able to race his way back to the front of the pack and he ended up finishing in third place, but his penalty issues are something to watch for once the Chase begins.

Next: Flying To The Front

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