Denny Hamlin falls in need of good race, however scores essentially the most factors

The dangerous information for Denny Hamlin is that he got here up one place in need of pulling off an ideal race on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.

The excellent news is that he scored essentially the most factors in an period the place that all of a sudden issues once more.

Hamlin led a race excessive 292 laps within the Cook dinner Out 400, together with the primary and second stage, plus the quickest lap bonus, however was denied a seventh Ridgeway Grandfather Clock as a consequence of two ill-timed cautions.

The cautions, mixed with a gutsy pit technique by Hendrick crew chief Alan Gustafson, gave Chase Elliott the lead and Hamlin might by no means regain the misplaced observe place.

Dropping the lead … and a free left-rear?

Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photograph by: Jeffrey Vest / Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos

Along with the newfound soiled air, Hamlin additionally reported a vibration over his radio with 44 laps to go. He didn’t use that as an excuse after the race.

“It simply felt completely different within the rear that run, so we’ll test it out,” Hamlin mentioned. “However no excuses, we simply acquired beat.”

Throughout post-race technical inspection, crew chief Chris Gayle validated his driver’s instincts in an interview with Motorsport.com and NASCAR.com.

“It seems to be like we had a difficulty with the left-rear wheel being a tiny bit free — free sufficient he most likely might inform,” Gayle mentioned. “There’s some fraying on the pins and a few put on there, so it was positively free.”

Along with the free wheel, Hamlin additionally mentioned passing acquired harder because it acquired darker and cooler. Elliott had clearer air when it mattered essentially the most.

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“It is simply the flexibility to have the cleaner air for the longer time frame made me warmth my (tires) up, which is what I did to 35 different guys for the majority of the race,” Hamlin mentioned. “So it simply, when you run that soiled air for prolonged time frame, the automobile sometimes goes away.”

Gayle additionally mentioned the observe taking rubber within the second half didn’t assist their trigger.

“We have been a little bit tighter late as rubber acquired laid down,” Gayle mentioned. “It was a little bit worse for us, more durable for us to type of get again by way of there as nicely. To be honest, Stage 1, you would possibly hit it proper off the truck. And you then begin the race after all people’s had three, 4 or 5 pit stops, all people tightens up a little bit bit extra, proper? And so I feel there’s a little bit little bit of each of that happening.”

To wit, Hamlin was really handed by William Byron early within the race however the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 simply re-passed the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 in a approach he could not with Elliott by the tip.

“We have been simply actually good within the first stage,” Hamlin mentioned. “I did not need to push it and he needed to go. I knew I might go proper again by him.

“The distinction is that I managed that run for such a very long time that my tires have been in higher form than his was, even when he had gotten round me.”

So principally, precisely what beat Hamlin in the long run.

And whereas second place would have stung beneath the earlier championship format, the place every further win resulted in 5 playoff factors, this technique is usually about scoring factors and nobody put extra on the board at Martinsville than Hamlin and Gayle

“For positive; it is only a intestine punch to guide that many laps and never win the race,” Gayle mentioned. “However that is probably not honest, proper? When you do this constantly sufficient, you may win your share of them, and that is about all you may management. I imply, it regarded like we have been having some points on restarts, too, that Denny talked about a little bit bit. I feel that was a selection with an engine setting that we ran which will have brought on some issues and made it more durable, so we might have helped ourselves there, too.”

Watch: Hamlin on watching win slip away: ‘We gave it our all’

Pictures from Martinsville – Sunday

Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing