Hamlin Suffers Electrical Problem at Charlotte

Still glowing from the big win at Darlington, the #20 Rockwell Automation / JGR Busch Team rolled into Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC.  Returning with a car that sat on the pole at Lowe’s sister track (Texas Motor Speedway) and one of the fastest cars during a two day test earlier in the month, the team was confident in their chance of being a big factor in this week’s event.

Tension built early as teams struggled to find a handle on the track.  The new surface at the 1.5 mile track combined with the tire that Goodyear brought was a challenge for everyone as they set up their cars in the heat of the day.  

“I don’t think we learned a whole lot during this practice,” commented Crew Chief Dave Rogers following both practice sessions.  “Our car is really, really loose.  Last week, we saw this track tighten up a lot when the sun goes down.  Since we don’t race until night, I think our car will be fine, but you wouldn’t know it from our practice today.  We are the first cars to be on this track in the last week, and until some rubber is laid down, it is going to be slick.”

As Hamlin prepared for his qualifying lap, the sun set and the track did tighten up.   Posting a lap of 29.52 (182.921mph) sent him to the top of the board temporarily.

“I really could have got a lot more out of that lap,” said a disappointed Hamlin following his lap.  “It is the best we have run here all weekend, but I would love another shot at it.  In practice, we were so loose, I couldn’t even complete my practice qualifying run so I just wanted to make sure I got the car in the show in one piece and race it from there.  It is nice to be on the top of the board, but it won’t hold up.”

As the track cooled, several cars bested Hamlin’s lap and he would settle for an 8th place starting position.  When the field took the green flag on Saturday evening for the 300 mile event, Hamlin knew his car was good and with some patience he would be able to show it.  As the field struggled through some early cautions, patience in the field allowed a long green flag run to ensue.   Hamlin cruised around in the fifth position and reported that his car was tight especially in the center of the corner.  The laps continued to tick off and Hamlin was forced to pit on lap 67 for fuel and tires.  Dropping back to the 29th position, Hamlin quickly returned to the top five when the rest of the field made their stops.  Rolling past the halfway point still under green, Hamlin radioed in that the changes didn’t help much.  When the caution flew on lap 111, Hamlin followed the leaders down pit road for more changes.  He also reported that the engine was starting to miss, but only under caution.  When the race restarted, he realized he had a problem.  Starting to lose positions, the caution flew again several laps later and the crew had a chance to work on it.  After switching ignition boxes, it was determined that the alternator was failing and the battery was being drained.  In an effort to increase horsepower, the decision to switch batteries was made.   Following the change of batteries, the car was restarted and immediately smoke started pouring out from under the hood.  It was determined the battery plug had been wired incorrectly and then shorted out the electrical system.  The original battery was replaced and Hamlin returned to the track two laps down.  Hamlin would ride around the remaining 74 laps down on horsepower and finish the race 29th.  With his finish, Hamlin fell one position in the Busch Series Driver’s Points to 4th.

“It is a tough break,” said Hamlin after the race.  “We had one of the best cars in the field.  Earlier in the race, we ran away from the cars that finished in the top three.  We have one of the top teams in the Busch Series and just had a couple mistakes tonight.   We will go back to the shop, work a little harder and make sure next week we are better prepared for any situation.”