Denny Hamlin, a prominent contender in the NASCAR Cup Series, faced a major setback in his pursuit of a regular-season championship after NASCAR handed down a significant penalty on Thursday. The penalty stems from an incident where Hamlin's race-winning engine from the Bristol race in March was mistakenly rebuilt by manufacturer Toyota before NASCAR had the chance to inspect it.

As a result of the penalty, Hamlin and his team were docked 75 points, impacting his overall standing in the Cup Series. Previously positioned third in the standings, Hamlin now finds himself in sixth place, a considerable 103 points behind current leader Tyler Reddick. Furthermore, Hamlin's playoff points dropped from 21 to 11, likely costing him the opportunity to accrue additional playoff points based on final regular-season standings.

The penalty also had financial consequences, with Hamlin's crew chief Chris Gabehart being fined a hefty sum of $100,000. Toyota Racing Development President David Wilson took responsibility for the error, clarifying that Joe Gibbs Racing had no involvement in the engine disassembly.

According to regulations, teams are required to use a previously used engine, sealed to prevent tampering, in 18 of the 36 regular-season events. Teams must provide NASCAR with a schedule detailing which events they plan to use a sealed engine at the start of the season. In this case, Toyota Racing Development self-reported the violation when the race-winning engine was mistakenly returned to their facility in Costa Mesa, California, disassembled, and rebuilt instead of being inspected by NASCAR.

Wilson expressed regret over the situation, acknowledging that the engine in question was legal and would have passed inspection. However, due to the mishap, NASCAR was unable to conduct the necessary examination. Toyota Racing Development has since reviewed their processes and implemented additional measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. Wilson extended his apologies to Hamlin, Gabehart, Joe Gibbs Racing, NASCAR, and the fans for the grievous mistake.

With only two races remaining in the regular season, the penalty spells a challenging road ahead for Denny Hamlin on his quest for his first Cup championship. As he navigates the final events, Hamlin will need to rally and overcome the significant point deficit imposed by NASCAR's penalty, making his path to victory all the more arduous.