Hamlin Scores First Busch Pole & Brings Home Top-Ten Finish

Following a weekend off, the NASCAR Busch Series loaded up and headed west for the Texas Motor Speedway.  The fast one-and-a-half mile track would display some of the fastest speeds run all season.  Bringing the same car that ran so well at Texas’s sister track, Atlanta Motor Speedway, the team was looking forward to the race.

Practice turned into a challenge.  The car was putting up some decent lap times compared to the other cars, but the team struggled in giving Hamlin a car with the feel he was searching for.  After only posting the 22nd fastest time, the crew held a meeting and decided to throw some pretty significant changes at the #20 car.  The changes paid off as his qualifying lap was the fastest lap of the day at 28.783 (187.92 MPH).  After waiting out the remaining 18 cars, Hamlin learned he won his first Busch Pole Award of his career after 43 starts in the series.

“I am glad to finally win one of these,” commented Hamlin after receiving his award.  “And to win one on a-mile-and-half track is even more special.  We have worked hard on our intermediate program in the offseason and it is starting to pay dividends.  I have to give the credit of this one to the team.  We were not that good in practice.  In fact, when I tried to make my practice qualifying lap, the handling was so bad; I just had to shut it down.  Now, I need to concentrate and make sure we lead at least one lap and earn those bonus points.”

As the race started, Hamlin used his premier starting spot to get a jump on his competitors.  The car was strong early as he easily pulled out to 1.5 second lead on the field.  About lap 15, Hamlin was reporting the car was tight, especially in the center and off the corner.  He would surrender the lead on lap 21; but, would settle in and continue to match the pace of the leaders.  By lap 65, all the cars were forced to pit under green flag conditions for fuel and new tires.  The race would remain green until lap 82, when the caution flag would fly for a single car accident.  Still reporting the car tight, Hamlin, currently in fourth, followed the leaders down pit road.  The crew turned around an excellent pit stop, while making a big adjustment and returned Hamlin to the track in the 1st position.

Hamlin’s lead would be short lived as the tight condition returned and he settled into the fourth position again.   As the long run continued, Hamlin would be forced to wait for lap 134 for additional service.  This time Crew Chief Dave Rogers made a major adjustment in hopes of loosening up the machine.  As the race restarted, Hamlin knew immediately something was wrong.  He developed a vibration in the rear of the car, usually an indication that some of the lugnuts were not completely tightened.  The rear tire changer confirmed all lugs were tight and they chose to ride it out until the next caution.  So on lap 151, Hamlin returned for four new tires and fuel.  When the race restarted, the vibration continued as well as its tight condition.  The final 50 lap run was littered with 5 caution periods.  Hamlin thought he would be able to recover some of the positions but at the end he would have to settle for a tenth place finish.  This finish boosted him to second place in the NASCAR Busch Series Driver’s Points Standings.  

“I am a little disappointed,” said Hamlin after the race.  “This car should have finished in the top five but we just didn’t catch any breaks today.  This car was tight off the corner and the other leaders were just beating me back to the gas.  We developed that vibration and had to pit, but I thought we were going to be okay.  The fresh tires should have allowed us to drive back up to the top five; but every time we would finally clear lapped traffic, the caution would fly and we would have to do it all over again.  We just could not go anywhere.”