Engine Fire Ends Denny Hamlin's Race in Texas

Denny Hamlin was forced to retire early from the Würth 400 NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway after his No. 11 Toyota Camry suffered a sudden engine failure and caught fire on lap 75. The incident followed a miscommunication over pit strategy that left Hamlin running outside the top 20 before the engine failure occurred. Despite entering the race ranked third in the points standings and having a strong season, Hamlin's streak of 21 consecutive lead-lap finishes ended with this event. He safely exited the car and was released from the infield care center without injury. The fire brought out a caution flag that ended Stage 1 with Austin Cindric in the lead. Hamlin and his team are investigating the cause of the failure amid broader engine reliability concerns across manufacturers this season, marking his first DNF of 2025.