Denny Hamlin: Thought we had 'clear sailing' holding lead with 20 laps left at Texas
Denny Hamlin looked primed to win his third race of the 2024 Cup Series season, leading with under 20 laps to go in Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.
A late caution changed everything.
On the ensuing restart, Hamlin battled door-to-door with Chase Elliott before getting loose going into Turns 3 and 4 and spinning into the outside wall. Instead of picking up the win, Hamlin walked away with a P30 finish. Elliott, instead, went onto win at Texas, snapping a 42-race winless streak.
Hamlin, speaking on his “Actions Detrimental” podcast after the race, said he thought he had “clear sailing” to victory before the late race caution.
“Took the lead back over with 20 to go and I’m just cruising,” Hamlin said. “Chase, I just passed him. The 6 [Brad Keselowski] was coming, but I was running a pace just to stay in front of all those guys. I definitely had a little more left in the tank. That’s managing a race to me. And so, while winning the second stage would be great, like I didn’t get any stage points because I was just being a little timid on the restarts because I got put in a couple bad spots and I’m like, ‘I wanna win this race. While I wanna go get some stage points, I wanna win this race. And I’m gonna do what it takes to win the race. I’m gonna put myself in the front after this last pit stop.’ And that’s what we did.
“I thought that we had clear sailing. I mean, the field — you worry about cautions right after a caution, but we had 15, 20 laps or so and I passed Chase back for the lead.”
Denny Hamlin breaks down battle for lead with Chase Elliott at Texas Motor Speedway
Hamlin added he felt he had the car to pass Elliott for the lead had NASCAR not decided to go to a Green-White-Checkered following the final caution during regulation.
“He got me on the restart, I think because I was just being a little timid. Don’t get loose under him, don’t make a mistake,” Hamlin said. “So, he took the lead on the restart. … I did [think I could pass him after the restart] if they didn’t run so many f****** laps under caution. Like, I think that caution happened and there was like eight or nine laps to go and I’m like ‘Well s***.’ … If he clears me, if he controls the restart and he clears me, if I have 2 or 3 laps, I will get back around him. I mean, that’s my irrational confidence but that’s what I think will happen.
“But when we go into a Green-White-Checkered, it’s all about who clears first. Whoever clears first is gonna win the race. There’s just not enough time to build momentum back to get back around. So, that’s why my sense of urgency was to mat it in Turns 3 and 4 and try to stay beside him but yeah, damn it, I’m so frustrated because every single week, we’re like gonna win. We’re so fast every week. I think we’ve led every race this season and not like bull**** led, we’re leading laps. Like legitimately, we drive up there and we’re contending.
“So, this is a really, really fun year for me so far because every week I know that I’m one of the top three guys in terms of speed. But damn, two weeks in a row of not getting the finish we deserved. And this one’s on me for sure.”