NASCAR: Denny Hamlin loses more playoff points after Southern 500

Two weeks ago, NASCAR penalized Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team for violating the engine inspection requirements after Hamlin's win at Bristol Motor Speedway back in mid-March.

The penalties came after Toyota self-reported an infraction that had to do with the fact that the race-winning engine from Bristol was mistakenly rebuilt by Toyota before NASCAR could tear it down and inspect it, which fell afoul of Sections 14.7.1.E&F and 14.7.1.1.B&E of the NASCAR Rule Book.

Hamlin was docked 10 playoff points, the equivalent of two race wins, and 75 points in the regular season standings. He had earned 21 playoff points at the time, 15 thanks to his three race wins and six thanks to his six stage wins.

Playoff points are points that are added to each NASCAR Cup Series playoff driver's point total at the start of each round of the four-round, 10-race postseason (minus the Championship 4), provided they are still championship eligible.

But Hamlin's penalty ended up being more than just 10 playoff points – even without any added penalty.

After Sunday night's Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, Hamlin found himself in seventh place in the regular season point standings. If not for the 75-point penalty that accompanied the deduction of 10 playoff points, he would have finished the 26-race regular season in fourth.

Additional playoff points are paid out to the drivers who finish inside the top 10 in the regular season standings. The champion scores 15, the runner-up scores 10, the third place finisher scores eight, and the total is reduced by one playoff point per position, down through the 10th place finisher.

So Hamlin scored just four additional playoff points instead of the seven he would have scored had he not been hit with the 75-point penalty, effectively meaning that his deduction of 10 playoff points was actually a deduction of 13 playoff points.

He is set to enter the playoffs with 15 playoff points, instead of the 28 he would have had without the penalty. Given the fact that drivers have advanced – or missed out on advancing – on tiebreakers before, those additional three missing playoff points could very well come back to haunt Hamlin.

Heading into the opening race of the round of 16 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hamlin sits in sixth place in the standings, 10 points ahead of the round of 12 cut line. If not for the penalty, he would be sitting in a tie for third, 23 points ahead of the cutoff.

All things considered, that's a pretty massive deal – or at least has the potential to be.

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