Kyle Busch ran a top-10 vehicle all day despite a power steering issue in Stage 3, having started in seventh place. Nonetheless, he recorded a P35 DNF for the second time in three weeks in Iowa. If that wasn’t enough, the only other driver to finish behind Busch is AJ Allmendinger, who no longer drives full-time in the Cup Series. Denny Hamlin, on the other hand, would have nearly halted their Iowa advances with a DNF.
The former Joe Gibbs teammates have been dealing with a variety of situations now that Busch is driving Richard Childress’s #8 Chevy as their prized senior statesman. For example, Denny is already in the playoffs this season after winning three races and finishing P24 on the NASCAR Cup Series debut at the Newton circuit. Rowdy, on the other hand, is winless and 31 points below the cutline after Iowa.
Nonetheless, some observers believe Denny Hamlin is experiencing the same slump as Kyle Busch had. Others believe his early season hot streak may soon come to an end, thanks to some middling performances in recent weeks. However, Hamlin has never been one to bail on his fortunes, and it seems watching Busch falter at a different team has certainly taught the #11 a few lessons.
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