Hamlin Overcomes Injury to Score Top-Ten

After engine trouble at Talladega thwarted a good finish for the #20 Rockwell Automation / JGR Busch Team, they loaded up and headed to an exciting ¾ mile track in Richmond, VA.  Denny Hamlin grew up less than 20 minutes from the race track in Chesterfield, VA and couldn’t wait to get home to visit friends and family.  However, his trip home would be delayed.

Following a Nextel Cup test session at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Hamlin and his team were blowing off some steam when Hamlin cut his hand on the FedEx Transporter.  Hamlin would be transported to the hospital where he received 19 stitches in his hand.  After some follow-up evaluations, Hamlin was cleared to race.  Mike Bliss would accompany the team to Richmond, in the event Hamlin needed someone to take over in driving duties of either car.  Also attending would be JGR Team Trainer, Al Shuford, who would use his 25 years of experience in Sports Medicine to provide Hamlin with proper bandaging and comfort techniques to make the weekend as bearable as possible.

Friday’s schedule was packed with a 2 hour Busch Series Practice, qualifying for the race and a 250 lap Busch Series event.  Coupled with two hours of Nextel Cup Practice and Nextel Cup qualifying, Hamlin would be in for a long day with his sore hand.  Fighting a car that was tight in the center, the crew worked feverishly to get the car better.  By the end of the final practice, Hamlin posted a lap that would find him in the top-ten.  Worried the track would continue to tighten up, Crew Chief Dave Rogers made some additional adjustments that made the car just a little too loose and Hamlin would be forced to start the event from the 15th position.

As the drivers climbed into their cars for the beginning of the race, raindrops began to fall.  NASCAR was able to have the drivers crank their cars, but was quickly forced to display the red flag and bring the cars to pit road.  After drying the track, the action resumed.  However, only 12 laps later, the skies opened again this time bringing a delay of over an hour.  Approaching 10:30 p.m., the cars were restarted and the action resumed.  Hamlin was able to gain some spots early quickly jumping into the top-ten.  Still concerned because the car was too loose to be competitive, Crew Chief Dave Rogers chose to keep Hamlin on the track to protect track position with more rain threatening.  Following lap 160, Rogers followed the leaders to pit road for their second stop of the evening.  The changes made to the car seemed to agree with Hamlin’s request, however, being stuck in traffic and fighting five cautions in the final 50 laps, Hamlin struggled to get back in the top-ten.  At the conclusion, Hamlin finished 10th and maintained his position of 4th in the Busch Series Points.

“By the time we finally got the car running, we just ran out of laps,” commented an exhausted Denny Hamlin following the race.  “My hand didn’t really bother me at all today while I was in the car, until the last couple cautions.  But I think that was more frustration of trying to get to the front.  There was some throbbing following the race, but with some ice tonight, I should be good to go for tomorrow night’s event.  I knew today was going to be the toughest day of the weekend.”