Hamlin survives Bristol and finish 13th

Coming off their first top ten of the year on a track larger than 1.5 miles, the #20 Rockwell Automation / JGR Team was looking forward to returning to a track where Denny Hamlin finished in the top ten earlier this year.  In addition, the last couple weeks the #20 car has been creeping up on the fifth position in driver’s points and a good run this weekend could provide the needed boost to elevate them into the elite top five of the NASCAR Busch Series.

Fighting a tight race car all through practice, Crew Chief Cully Barraclough called a meeting of the minds to help find the balance of the #20 machine.  Their effort pushed the car a little too loose and Hamlin was only able to score the 16th starting position for the Food City 250.

As the sun set, the engines were fired for the most exciting 250 laps of Busch Series racing.  Immediately, the #20 car was loose, especially at the beginning of the run.  Hamlin was patient, allowing faster traffic to pass and stealing positions when he could.  He focused on being smooth and as the gas began to wear off, the car began to handle better.  During the second caution of the evening on lap 37, the crew determined the best strategy would be to forfeit their 15th place running position to come to pit road and make their car better.  After four tires, fuel and one turn on the trackbar, Hamlin returned to the track in the 26th spot.

Working his was to the front, the #20 team received a break when most of the field pitted on the next caution.  Hamlin surged into the top five and had his sights set on the going to the front.  As the race restarted, he benefited from lapped traffic and passed David Stremme to take the top spot.

Hamlin comfortably rode out front for the next 38 laps until the caution waived on lap 138.  With the threat of rain in the area, Barraclough consulted his meteorologists and decided the rain did not look severe enough to end the race.  Knowing that they were going to need one more stop for fuel, Hamlin headed to pit road for his final stop of the evening.   A large portion of the lead lap cars followed Hamlin and he returned to the track in the 13th position.  Two laps after making his stop, the rain started and forced NASCAR to red flag the race.  

“I don’t want to try to explain the feeling I had in my stomach when it started raining,” said Hamlin following the race.  “I could see NASCAR calling the race after I just gave up the lead especially after halfway.  However, it was the right call.  We are looking at the bigger picture and have to race that way.  If we would have pitted following the next caution we might have finished back in the 20’s.”

The rain shower was brief and the track was dried within an hour.  Running 10 laps under caution to help dry the track, the race was restarted.  The action was brief because 10 laps later the field was slowed again for rain.  After the second red flag period, the driver’s returned to the cars.  Not knowing when the next rain shower might be the racing was furious in the final 50 laps and the caution flag flew often.  Hamlin ran as high as 9th, but contact from behind forced him back to the 15th position.  He was able to grab 2 spots in the final laps and finish 13th on the same lap as the leaders.

“I really wanted a top ten tonight,” commented Hamlin following the race.  “We just ran too many caution laps at the end of the race.  There were several cars in front of us that would not have made it on fuel without those laps.  Overall though, to finish both Bristol Races this year on the lead lap and bring back both cars with minimal damage; is pretty satisfying.”

With his 13th place finish, Denny Hamlin takes over the fifth position in NASCAR Busch Series Driver’s points.  Hamlin will continue to try to climb up the board as the Busch Series heads to Fontana, CA for the California 300.