Denny Hamlin's top-10 afternoon at Sonoma Raceway was derailed on Lap 64.
What happened?
The Joe Gibbs Racing star was sent spinning backward into the Turn 7 grass following a chain-reaction collision triggered by Carson Hocevar and Brad Keselowski.
Denny Hamlin was poised for a heavy points haul before the incident.
Why it matters for Denny Hamlin
The 26th-place result is a tough pill to swallow for the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing camp, as a possible top-10 effort would have given Hamlin a massive point buffer with just eight races remaining before NASCAR ventures into the playoffs.
Hamlin refused to publicly call out Hocevar or Keselowski until he had a chance to sit down with his team and evaluate.
What comes next?
He said: "I mean, I'll have to just see what happened and, you know, reevaluate from there I haven't seen but I know you want a reaction, but I haven't seen it. When I see it I'll react to it...It's frustrating for sure."
The incident led to an immediate response from Denny Hamlin, who shared his raw reaction to the mechanical damage that derailed his strong Sonoma run.
Denny Hamlin has edged Tyler Reddick by a single point as the leader in the overall standings.
As reported by NASCAR insider Jordan Bianchi, Hamlin's crew identified the No. 77 car as the one that spun him from 7th place.
The final straw came when crew chief Chris Gabehart had to break the news to Hamlin that the car had sustained substantial damage to the front splitter, prompting Hamlin to let out his true feelings, saying: "F**king Bullsh*t".
On June 12, Denny Hamlin finished 26th at Sonoma Raceway, a result that could have been much better without the incident, and he will look to bounce back in the next race.
Denny Hamlin's strong run was ended by the contact with Carson Hocevar, and he will aim to regain his momentum in the upcoming races, starting with the next event on the NASCAR calendar.