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Denny Hamlin is forced into the wall late, destroying his playoff hopes in 11th place at Watkins Glen


Denny Hamlin is forced into the wall late, destroying his playoff hopes in 11th place at Watkins Glen

Denny Hamlin’s playoff hopes suffered another setback when he was forced to pit after spinning in the S-turns during the closing stages of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 16 playoff race at Watkins Glen International on Sunday.

Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota triple-crossed the track in Turn 2 on Lap 46 in the final stages of the race. However, contact with Brad Keselowski’s No. 6 RFK Racing Ford resulted in a spin for the championship contender, causing damage to the front and rear of the No. 11 machine.

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For Hamlin, it was his second incident of the race and his third overall during the weekend. Hamlin was also involved in a Lap 1 incident that ultimately resulted in Ryan Blaney retiring from the race and finishing 38th after his No. 12 Team Penske Ford was damaged beyond repair. The No. 11 also spun during Saturday’s practice sessions.

Hamlin entered Sunday’s Go Bowling at The Glen just two points ahead of the 12-driver elimination line. Because of Sunday’s incidents, Hamlin will enter the Round of 16 finale at Bristol Motor Speedway in a precarious position. The Round of 16 finale is scheduled for next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET (USA, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).

This story will be updated.

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