Denny Hamlin Fired Off Angry Two-Word Radio Message After Pit Issue at Kansas

After surviving the first round of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, Denny Hamlin headed into the first race in the Round of 12 at Kansas with confidence, and understandably so, considering his successful history on the 1.5-mile track, including four wins — the most recent coming in the spring of 2023.

He appeared to be piloting another potential race-winning car on Sunday as he moved up from his eighth starting position to inside the top 5 early in the day. He finished fourth to end Stage 1.

However, in the second stage, trouble struck when his pit crew had a slow stop due to being unable to properly secure the right-rear wheel. The No. 11 dropped back to 16th on the subsequent restart.

With frustration growing, the three-time Daytona 500 winner pleaded with his team over the radio to not make any more mistakes so he could maintain his track position.

Unfortunately, late in that second stage, the Joe Gibbs Racing pit crew committed another blunder by not properly securing a wheel, which produced a vibration and a conversation between the driver and his crew chief, Chris Gabehart.

"Alright, I'm getting concerned," Gabehart told his driver . "So if you feel something, you gotta bring it. It'll be 18 to go when you get it. I'm getting doubt down here, so if you have doubt, you gotta bring it."

"F***! Coming!" the driver angrily replied.

Despite those pit road miscues, the 43-year-old managed to grind out an eighth-place finish. After the race, Hamlin didn't sugarcoat his feelings about the team's day on pit road.

"They know that today was one of their worst days ever," Hamlin told reporters . "They just got to work to clean it up."

Interestingly, there have been pit issues in previous seasons for the JGR team, but in 2024, the crew has been an asset, picking up spots and advancing the car's position.

If Sunday was the worst day ever, and Hamlin still finished inside the top 10, fans of the No. 11 should feel good about their chances in the upcoming races.

The team returns to the track on Sunday at Talladega for the second race in the Round of 12. The race starts at 2:00 p.m. ET and airs on NBC.

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