The Brake Pad Rule That Left Denny with One Option: Race It Broken

Iowa was a survival mission for Denny Hamlin.

While Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell battled for the win up front, Denny was dealing with a brake issue that made an already demanding race even tougher. He breaks down what went wrong, why NASCAR’s parts supplier requirements left his team with limited options, and how the issue impacted his race from inside the 11 car.

Denny also takes a closer look at what made Ty Gibbs so tough to beat at Iowa and how much the young driver has changed since last season. Was the No. 54 actually the best car of the day? And why did Ryan Blaney look so dominant out front before losing some of that advantage in traffic?

The physical toll of the race was another story. Denny shares his WHOOP data to show just how demanding Iowa was and why this race took so much out of him.

Plus, Denny reacts to some of the weekend’s biggest moments, including the Reddick/Jones wreck and a wild four-wide restart involving Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson, before looking at what Iowa means for the playoff picture with 100 points still up for grabs.

Watch and listen to new episodes of Actions Detrimental every Monday during the NASCAR Cup season & check us out on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok for all the best moments from the show. . .

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Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to Actions Detrimental
00:27 Ty Gibbs Wins at Iowa
03:28 Gibbs vs. Bell for the Win
09:07 Denny Raced Without Brakes
15:37 Why Denny Couldn’t Just Fix the Brakes
20:58 The NASCAR Rule That Created the Problem
29:37 What Changed for Ty Gibbs This Season?
33:23 Breaking Down Iowa’s Biggest Wrecks
38:32 Denny’s Mindset Changed Mid-Race
41:07 The Playoff Picture After Iowa
45:29 Watching the Wrong Race?
47:52 Richmond Preview & Camping Plans