Pit Road Penalty doesn’t keep Hamlin from Top 15 Finish

Entering the second race of an important three race stretch where the Busch Series is racing at tracks different from the Nextel Cup Series, the #20 Rockwell Automation / JGR Team headed to Kentucky Speedway for the Meijer 300. Coming off their fourth top ten of the season last week at Nashville, spirits were high as the team unloaded a brand new car.
 
Saturday was a full day with two practices, qualifying and the race that evening. The #20 car was slow in the first practice as Hamlin spent the time learning the line around the unique 1.5 mile track. During the second session, Hamlin’s comfort level showed as he finished top ten on the speed chart. Hamlin’s quick study of the Kentucky Speedway continued as he secured the 5 ^th starting position for the race that evening.
 
As the race started, Hamlin immediately reported the car was “super tight” especially into the corner and the center of the corner. For the first 20 laps, Hamlin was able to maintain his top five position, but shortly after than he started to slip positions. When the caution flag flew for a multi-car accident on lap 40, Hamlin abandoned his 9 ^th position and followed the leaders to pit road. The team changed four tires, added a round of wedge and returned Hamlin to the track in the 12 ^th position, behind five cars that did not pit.
When the race restarted, Hamlin immediately charged to the front. In less than five laps he was running back in the top five until the tight condition returned and he settled into 8 ^th position. With a plan to work on the car during the next stop, Crew Chief Barraclough reminded Hamlin “just ride it out and we will work on it when you get here”. As the long run continued the tight condition seemed to go away, so when the caution flew on lap 71, Barraclough called for four tires with a small air pressure adjustment. The #20 crew turned in a flawless stop of 16.81 seconds and returned Hamlin to the track in the fourth position.
 
When the field received the green flag, they settled in for a long green flag run. As the laps ticked off the board, Hamlin running as high as fourth and as low as ninth and continuing to struggle with his car as it was tight early in the run and loose as the fuel wore off. On lap 138, Hamlin ducked onto pit road under the green flag for a routine stop for tires and fuel. After the crew changed the right side tires, the right rear tire was rolled towards the pit wall. During its travel, the tire made contact with something headed back across pit road. Hamlin was accessed a penalty by NASCAR and would be forced to return to pit road.
When Hamlin tried to re-enter pit road two laps later, he was unable to get his car slowed down enough to duck on pit road and would have to ride around again to serve his penalty. After all this action, Hamlin was running in the 26 ^th position, 2 laps down to the leader. As Hamlin returned to the track, he was setting a blistering pace and able to gain back one of his laps by the time the next caution flag on lap 145. Hamlin would drive to front of the lap down cars and when the caution flag flew on lap 167, he would be the beneficiary of the “lucky dog rule” and be able to rejoin the leaders on the lead lap.
 
The final 30 laps were marred with cautions as Hamlin drove as high as 7 ^th before contact with another car cut down a tire and sent him high up the track. Hamlin was able to keep it off the wall, but did lose valuable track position. At the checkered flag, Hamlin finished 15 ^th and gained one spot, moving up to 6^th in the Busch Series Driver’s Standings.
 
“Everything that could go wrong, went wrong today,” commented Hamlin following the race. “We had a really good car today and should have finished in the top five. My team has been giving me great stops all year and we pick up positions every time I come to pit road. I didn’t help the cause missing pit road the next time around. I am looking forward to next week, because I like flat tracks and I think we have a good car.”