With the NASCAR season postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, drivers have been taking part in the virtual Pro Invitational Series. These events have been held on the “iRacing” simulation video game and have featured wild crashes, drivers in giraffe onesies, and many snacks. Distractions can often lead to last-second losses, which driver Denny Hamlin learned during the Geico 70 on Sunday when his daughter turned off his monitor.
The Cup Series veteran posted a video on his Twitter account in which he recapped the confusing sequence near the end of the race. He had been fighting for position after suffering some damage, but his screen suddenly went black. Hamlin was driving blind and had no idea what was going on. He later learned that his daughter had been holding a remote control, which she used to shut off his monitor.
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I had so many questions about what just happened.. then we found 2nd hand footage at the end. I cannot believe it. pic.twitter.com/BfN1sNAsg8
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) April 26, 2020
“I’m mad. I’m p— off,” Hamlin said in his video. “But they’re just kids. We have live footage of my daughter coming in with a remote, a Samsung remote, hits the power button, and cuts my monitor off while I’m racing. That was unfortunate!
“My daughter came in with a remote and essentially ended our day folks. Something you don’t hear every day,” Hamlin continued. “You got to be kidding me!” This is the second time that a mishap with his daughter disrupted the Pro Invitational Series.
She brought him a Coca-Cola during an earlier race but shook it up during the walk to the racing rig. When Hamlin opened the bottle, it began leaking all over his hand. This incident took place during what appeared to be a caution lap, so he didn’t lose any ground during the race.
Hamlin had been among the top drivers during the first few weeks of the Pro Invitational Series. He won one race and finished top-10 in two others. Sunday, however, did not pan out for him as he finished in last place. Although he had far more issues than his daughter simply turning off the monitor.
Hamlin posted a longer video on his Twitter account that showed him fighting through a frustrating day at the virtual Talladega Superspeedway. He was wrecked on more than one occasion, eliciting cries of frustration. Hamlin even proclaimed that he was going to wreck everybody else because they couldn’t drive.
