Sports

Denny Hamlin Penalized From Pole Position on Lap 1 at Nashville Superspeedway

Things are not going well for Denny Hamlin to start the Cracker Barrel 400. Hamlin started on pole after qualifying was rained out on Saturday, and he had control of the start. However, the 11 car jumped before the restart zone, and NASCAR had to throw the penalty.

Looking at the replay on Prime Video, it wasn't particularly close. Denny Hamlin clearly jumped the start, and he had to serve a pass-through penalty as a result. While Hamlin did not immediately go a lap down, he found himself in dead last after leaving pit road.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 8:50 PM.

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