Hamlin Reacts to Huge Penalty | Trackhouse Releases Zane Smith | Drivers Discuss Daytona!

Hamlin reacts to penalty Denny Hamlin reacts to the massive penalty he was dealt this past week front row fires off fast ahead of a must-win Daytona race and less than a year after joining forces track house and zann Smith have already parted [Music] ways how's it going y'all my name is Eric welcome to out of the Grove on the go oh my gosh I just noticed you can see the remnants of a Bucky cinnamon roll I absolutely demolished late last night that's embarrassing well it's too late now I'm not taking it out we've got lots to get to tonight of course the Coke Zero sugar 400 at Daytona great opportunity for some Fringe playoff contenders to win their way in we will get to that in just a few moments we have comments clips from a bunch of different Cup series drivers that we will share in this episode but I want to begin with Denny Hamlin because late this past week NASCAR slapped Denny Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing with an L2 penalty that's a 75. 10 playoff Point penalty the team was found to have violated NASCAR strict Engine Seal rules Toyota took Denny Hamlin's race-winning Bristol engine and rebuilt it before NASCAR had the chance to inspect it Toyota self-reported the issue NASCAR came down hard anyways reporters swarmed Denny Hamlin in the media center yesterday wanted to get his reaction to that news and here's what Denny Hamlin sad I don't know I just it's hard to not feel and be negative in the moment and and I am in the moment I I I feel negative about it um not about the decision or anything like that just about you know our our season and um potentially you know what it could or couldn't do it's really hard in the in this kind of format when you work so hard in the regular season right to get all those bonus points it's really tough to see it just wiped away and so but it's it's part of it and we got to just overcome now Hamlin grieving the loss of important playoff points not only did NASCAR dock him 10 playoff points which again carry throughout each round of the playoffs he also dropped from third to sixth in the regular season standings that's worth playoff points as well Danny Hamlin is going to feel that loss this fall and he knew it you know you celebrate you know these onepoint stage victories and and race victories so much because of you know that man every round I've got that and when I look at like you know we're in contention for the regular season that's gone you know what we're potentially lost and could lose more um you know like blay wasn't going to reach us in points so at the worst we were going to be fourth we could go back to eighth ninth you know that's it's not just those 10 points it's the seven eight others that that we're going to miss out on every round so cumul cumulative it could be 50 or so points and so that's that's the gut punch is like damn it you know this this format rewards regular season Excellence but it it it certainly you know it allows you to have you know not a perfect day one day uh and still be able to race for a championship but you know now I'm kind of back there in the Middle where it's like you know I'm I'm very vulnerable in some spots a lot of fans fairly have been quick to pile on Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota some suggesting that their win at Bristol should be revoked and that's a fair opinion to have the engine is one of the most crucial elements of the car any funny business there is cause for concern but for what it's worth many drivers were asked about the Denny Hamlin penalty in the media center this week and Matt Weaver of sports notot compiled several quotes from competitors who actually felt bad for Denny Hamlin defended Denny Hamlin including Brad keslowski who is also a team owner the weight could drop on anyone's feet I have empathy because I know that could have been me I know for certain that Denny and the team didn't do anything wrong but I also understand the reason for the penalty and why Nascar has that system in place other veteran drivers chimed in D Earnhart Jr tweeted this if you're going to trick the engine you ain't risking it at Bristol so I'm not telling you how you should feel one way or another I do believe this was an honest logistical clerical mistake I don't think that specific engine is the reason Denny Hamlin won at Bristol a race where I don't think any driver was Full Throttle at any point during the event it was all about Tire saving and we saw veterans like Hamlin and shx bubble to the front because of their experience so while I think the penalty here is 100% Justified I don't think it's fair to say that engine is the reason Hamlin won at Bristol and even if you feel that way I mean he lost 10 playoff points so they actually penalized him for that race and then some so I think the punishment more than fits the crime in my opinion but you know fans can have their different opinions that's fair now before we talk Kaulig signs Daniel Dye Daytona specifically some Silly Season news at the track yesterday colleague racing announced that Daniel die will drive the number 10 car fulltime in the NASCAR Xfinity series next season you will be teammates with Josh Williams if you watch my other show Power Hour you'll know that Josh Williams confirmed a while ago he has a multi-year deal with colleague he will be back in the 11 car the 16 is still TBD AJ aldinger we now know is headed back to cup full-time that's very exciting what we did learn yesterday today is that the 97 currently driven by Shane Van gisbergen will not return we'll talk more about that here on the next topic but yes Daniel D headed to full-time xinity he's looked pretty good in part-time starts this year he's got a couple of top 10 one at Iowa one recently at Indianapolis Daniel Dy just qualified for the Craftsman truck series playoffs they race in Milwaukee this weekend I do hope colleague is able to find either a veteran or a truly top prospect to put in the 16 because Josh Williams has struggled this year and Daniel Dy I'm still not sold he's the real deal and he is very young the call of gracing is having a down year in Xfinity outside of Shane Van guren's three road course wins they're winless and Williams as I just mentioned is well outside of the playoff picture so it's been a slightly disappointing season for colag in the Xfinity and the Cup Series so adding Daniel die into the mix I don't think it's going to make that team faster he's a young guy he needs coaching he's not going to do the coaching if you understand what I'm saying um I like AJ almader moving back up to the cup series I think that's where he belongs but now I hope they can find a veteran or a truly top prospect to put in that 16 at least part-time to really give us a good Baseline of where colig is at next season um that's just my take but in Trackhouse to release Zane Smith other driver news perhaps even bigger driver news yesterday track house just before the start of the exfinity series race kind of a weird time to release this posted this track house and zann Smith have mutually agreed to separate at the conclusion of the 2024 Nascar Cup series season allowing the 25-year-old former Truck Series champion to immediately accept other opportunities Smith drives the 71 Spire Chevy in an alliance with track house and will continue for the remainder of this season big news but not exactly surprising news I think the most surprising part of that statement is again that it was released at 7:00 on a Friday night but there has been a lot of chatter lately that Zane Smith could reunite with front row motorsports track house mentions that Truck Series championship he won that championship in the number 38 front row truck front row Motorsports has announced they will be a three car Cup Series team next year Todd gilland was extended Noah Gregson has been signed it sounds likely zann Smith fills that third role that's according to rumors Bob Pock of Fox Sports says has suggested it's possible but of course we will have to wait and see how this all shakes out again the most surprising part of this is the timing not just that the release was posted at 700 p.m. on a Friday but also that because it was less than a year ago only about 11 months ago that Zay Smith and track house first joined forces go back to last September track house announced the signing of both zaye Smith and Shane Van gisbergen the very same week this is my theory this is how it feels it almost feels like Zane Smith was an insurance policy Shane Van gisbergen we know is a worldclass driver brings tons of eyeballs from Australia and New Zealand he's a three-time supercars Champion turned heads when he won the Cup Race at Chicago last year obviously won the exfinity race this season like the guy is a world class driver a big personality they signed Shane van gisbergen fully intending on him going Cup Series racing one day but just in case he struggled mightily in exfinity this season could not figure out out the ovals wasn't showing any progression at the ovals track house went and picked up Zayn Smith just in case you know hey he's he's a legit Prospect had a Truck Series championship I've been high on Zayn Smith for several years if SVG struggled this season move zann Smith in house instead unfortunately the exact opposite happened this year SVG I think has exceeded most expectations he's won three out of the four road course races I guess that's not shocking that's still really good but even on the ovals SVG has has been I think serviceable he has several top 10 finishes was recently fourth at Indianapolis and again this has been kind of a Down year for colig speed-wise across the board most folks expect Shane Van gisbergen to get that third track house seat assuming track house opens a third seat it hasn't been confirmed or announced just yet zanen Smith meanwhile struggled out the gates this year granted he was driving for spire and it was a new third Spire team a collaboration with house it was a weird deal a lot of folks over there not a ton of experience so naturally there were growing pains what's encouraging about Zayn Smith is that over the past six Cup Series races his average finish is a very respectable 15.8 that's not amazing but he's got a couple of top 10 mixed in there it's decent that's close to what his fellow rookie teammate Carson josar has been able to do this summer so zanen Smith is clearly talented this is a classic case of track house just not having enough rooms at the end Chast danain is still there of course they just recently extended Suarez for one season Conor zillich is the next big thing they got him an exfinity series ride for next season they're kind of doing with zillich what they did with SVG although zillich will drive for Junior Motorsports of course they have SVG you know Five drivers with right now only two maybe three cup seats that was never going to work out someone was going to be on the chopping block Zan Smith at the very least it sounds like has a pretty good fallback option in front row Motorsports I hope that deal works out because Zayn Smith with Noah Gregson and Todd gilland at front row next year with the speed they've shown that could be a that could be a frisky team I'm looking forward to that Front Row on the front row speaking of front row Michael McDow will start from the poll tonight at Daytona his teammate Todd Gillan will be right there next to him first time ever that front row Motorsports has swept the front row for a NASCAR cup series event that's pretty cool and a lot of pressure on these two drivers tonight both both drivers are outside of the playoff picture a win gets them in Todd Gillan LED 74 laps combined between the first Daytona and Atlanta races back in February and Michael McDow of course is a former Daytona 500 winner and was leading coming out of turn four at Talladega in April here's Michael McDow ahead of tonight's big race there's always time in the race where when you get down to the nitty-gritty at the end you have to make a DEC decision of whether or not you're going to be a team player or not U we've seen it play out a few times but for Todd and I it hasn't played out yet we haven't got to the last lap and been nose to tail and had a shot at trying to win the race together I don't want to take away a win from Todd I I want to win myself tomorrow night but if we're in that situation you have to play it out to where is my move going to hurt both of us or is it going to help one of us or for both of us right so you don't know until you're in that situation you know and we haven't been there yet to to know on that last lap coming off of turn four what what we would do I know they don't have a win yet this season but front row has been pretty impressive in my opinion Todd gilland is 20th in points McDow right behind him in 21st I asked Todd gilland who is also in must-win territory heading into tonight about front Row's performance and how he feels they maybe have improved throughout this season at least our race team is it's miles better than it was you know the last year and then definitely my first season so um you know is that just a Ford relationship I don't think so right it helps on all aspects and um we have a great partnership with Ford we have a great partnership with Pensky um we have so many smart people at our own race shop that are able to put the information to use right in the right ways so um I don't know I I think it's all those things combined that have gotten a little bit stronger my experience has gotten stronger um so I think everybody has um has you know stepped up in in every area and it's helped our whole RAC team front row Motorsports going to be fun to watch tonight for sure but now let's talk about another playoff bubble driver Ross Daniel Suarez talks Daytona strategy Chastain enters this race just one point ahead of bubble Wallace for the final provisional playoff spot I didn't get a chance to talk to Ross unfortunately I missed him this week but I did talk to his teammate Daniel Suarez who is locked into the playoffs and I asked Daniel if you know his strategy or the team strategy changes it all knowing that Ross is in a precarious playoff position I mean I have to do my race and I'm sure that at several situations uh different scenarios we're going to be together and and over day I'm going to try to help him as much as I can uh I also want to win a race right and uh and and my main goal for tomorrow is to win stages and trying to win the race and and in the process trying to help uh my teammate uh to to make the playoffs I know we're focused on the playoff bubble but Tyler Reddick there's also a regular season championship at stake and remember at the end of the regular season the points leader gets additional playoff points Tyler reck thanks to a great race at Michigan is now your regular season points leader he has a 10-point lead over Chase Elliott I asked Tyler reic about what Denny Hamlin 2311 co-owner has talked about in the past A Five-Year Plan towards becoming competitive this is year four for 2311 and they're the regular season points leader I know Denny in the past has talked about sort of a 5-year plan for 23 11 you win that Championship but when you're the regular season points leader you made a Deep Run last year like I guess is the the mood at the shop any different this year I mean this is year four I guess technically so is it like Hey we're ahead of schedule or is it is there like a buzz there that's kind of different that you hadn't seen before I think everyone's just really locked in what we need to do right now um yeah we all get very excited when we win um have days like you know like we did on Monday you know where we win and get the points lead that's you know winning is anytime you can win in when you're a young team like that it's it's good for everybody but uh you know even more than that being able to jump Hendrick and and and get to the the front of uh of the reg season points is a big deal for us too so yeah obviously you know we want to be contending for him right five years in and I think we still got some things we're working on you know we're still getting the pit department and getting that you know we haven't even finished really building our footprint 2311 yet so we're still building up um so it's nice to be performing like we are right now Coke Zero sugar 400 tonight at Daytona International Speedway I cannot wait hope you all enjoy the race want to give a quick shout out to everyone who came out to the live Power Hour podcast episode with me and Brennan pool yesterday was a lot of fun had a good crowd was fun to chat with folks afterwards really do appreciate you all coming out hopefully we can continue to do things like that at other races throughout this season and well into the future I appreciate your support leave a like if you enjoyed subscribe for more NASCAR content every single day whether I'm at home at the track does not matter big thank you to my patreon supporters as well who help make traveling like this a lot easier helps keep this show Growing I will see you all tonight after the Coke Zero sugar 400 maybe early Sunday morning depending on when your bedtime is uh but thanks for watching folks I'll catch you again real soon [Music]