Denny Hamlin has baffling start, falls a lap down early in Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway

Despite starting P12 and running in the top-10 early at Iowa Speedway, Denny Hamlin and his No. 11 Toyota fell like a rock. The first five laps went well, but it has been downhill for the NASCAR driver since then.

Kyle Larson shot out from the field like a cannonball. He is by far the most dominant driver early on in this Iowa Speedway race. Denny Hamlin on the other hand went DOWN a lap after just 34 laps on the track.

Tires are the big story but it appears that Hamlin is having more than just tire troubles. Will the 11 team get things figured out?

Bruh 🤯 @dennyhamlin just went a LAP DOWN to the leader in Stage 1 only 34 laps into the race…

Has 0 laps here prior to this weekend and it's showing early.

He already has 3 wins (including 1 exhibition) on short tracks in 2024.

— Davey Segal (@DaveyCenter) June 16, 2024

Between last week’s race at Sonoma and the start of this one, things have been falling off for Denny Hamlin and his team. Short tracks are usually a strength for Hamlin and his crew. But Iowa Speedway is a new track for him.

While other, younger drivers have raced at Iowa in the past, Hamlin has not. He was already a full-time Cup Series driver by the time Iowa Speedway was built. So no Xfinity, Truck, or ARCA starts for Hamlin at the facility.

Could it be that his unfamiliarity with the track is to blame? I’m not so sure. Hamlin is a veteran and as I mentioned, short tracks are his thing. Unless the 11 crew can make adjustments, the day might be over before it starts for the second straight week.

Denny Hamlin needs to get it figured out

Up until the last two weeks, Denny Hamlin has looked like a true championship contender. As he continues to age, his opportunities are going to continue to vanish. Hamlin has three wins on the year, four if you include the Busch Light Clash. But he can’t afford these moments.

In a tightly contested fight for the regular season championship, and the 15 bonus playoff points that come with it, Hamlin is battling Larson. Every stage and every position matters when it comes to this race for the regular season title.

Then again, Larson is starting to look like he did in 2021. Remember his three straight wins during that summer? Well, it happened right around this time. With the pole award locked up and a strong first stage, Larson has back-to-back wins in mind right now.

Denny Hamlin has to get it figured out sooner rather than later. If the tires are such a big deal in this race, he might have a chance. Catch a few breaks, get into a groove, and try to pass.