Denny Hamlin has defended his comments that he was “not mentally present” after a frustrating race at Kansas Speedway.

Hamlin’s performance was marred by a series of mishaps on pit road, ruining his chances of advancing to Round 8. After the race, Hamlin didn’t mince his words. He commented to the media, as reported by Newsweek Sports:

“He knows today is one of his worst days. He’s going to work to clean it up.

“I don’t know, I’ve had some really tough days, but yeah, it’s been a terrible day.

Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Toyota, is seen during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by ESPN BET at Kansas Speedway on September 28, 2024 in Kansas City, Kansas….


Chris Graythen/Getty Images

“Out on the 15th, 20th, then we had a loose wheel. Just bad. Bad day.

“We should have won the race. We had the fastest car, but every time we got to the top three, the caution went out and we restarted on the 15th, 20th. It’s not possible to show how fast your car is when you come back. packing.

“All you can do is make your way back to the front over and over again and eventually you just run out of laps and someone else wins.”

He added:

“I’m not mental, I can say that. There are many wires crossed and bolts loose at the moment. But what can you do? I’ll just do the best I can to drive the car and do my part.”

In an attempt to clarify the comment about “not (being) mental”, Hamlin explained during the ‘Detrimental Actions’ podcast:

“I’m now, in this bubble, right? I’m trying to figure out my day and how it turned out and what I could have done better. So what I say when they ask about me. mentality … I go, ‘well mentally I’m not in right now, I’m just p**sed off.'”

Despite the busy day, Hamlin was able to maintain his position above the cutoff line in the playoffs, albeit by a slim margin of 11 points.

NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway Results

  1. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
  2. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
  3. Martin Truex Jr., No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
  4. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Penske Racing Ford
  5. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
  6. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
  7. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
  8. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
  9. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
  10. Zane Smith, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
  11. Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
  12. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
  13. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
  14. Joey Logano, No. 22 Penske Racing Ford
  15. Corey LaJoie, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
  16. Ryan Preece, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
  17. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
  18. Noah Gragson, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
  19. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
  20. Daniel Hemric, No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
  21. Ty Dillon, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
  22. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford
  23. Harrison Burton, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
  24. Chase Briscoe, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
  25. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
  26. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
  27. Todd Gilliland, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
  28. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 JTG-Putri Racing Chevrolet
  29. Michael McDowell, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
  30. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Warisan Motor Club Toyota
  31. Kaz Grala, No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford
  32. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
  33. Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
  34. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Penske Racing Ford
  35. Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Club Toyota
  36. Jimmie Johnson, No. 84 Warisan Motor Club Toyota
  37. JJ Yeley, No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet
  38. Josh Berry, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford