Hamlin concludes strong week with second-place showing
DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. Denny Hamlin was the bright and shining star of Daytona Speedweeks until NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., reasserted his place as stock car racing ’s rock star in the final minutes of the Daytona 500.
Hamlin won the Sprint Unlimited and his 150-mile qualifying race and had a strong car in the 500. He charged toward the front to challenge Earnhardt in the shadow of the checkered flag but got no drafting help and didn’t have a solid shot at the victory.
Hamlin finished second, in front of Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
Hamlin said he was handicapped in the closing portion of the race after his team radio failed, apparently as a result of the wet conditions caused by heavy rain that fell during the afternoon and delayed the race for more than six hours while the cars were parked on pit road.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver said he couldn’t plot strategy well without help from his spotter atop the main grandstand.
“I had to wing it the last 150 laps on my own,” Hamlin said. “I had no spotter on the greenwhite-checkered. He gives vital information to make runs.”
Hamlin said his radio did not work immediately when the race resumed after the rain delay.
“I didn’t have the radio for about 50 laps or so,” he said. “I thought it dried out, and I had it for about another 60 or 70 laps. Then starting around the cautions near the end of the race, it pretty much got to radio silence.
“I’m in the middle of the pack trying not to cause the big one but racing to hold on to my line and advance to try to give myself a chance at victory.”
Hamlin said he was trying to catch glimpses at the scoreboard to help him plan the final laps.
“Not knowing anything that’s going on makes you appreciate what’s going on up there (on the spotter’s stand),” he said.
Hamlin basically had his choice of passing lanes in his race wins during Speedweeks but said the power in his Toyota declined relative to the competition in the 500.
“Our cars just weren’t as good as the week progressed,” Hamlin said. “Maybe we were the same, but the competition definitely got better. It wasn’t as easy to pass as it was early in the week.
“It’s a tough business. Our car was OK. Given the right circumstances, it was a race winner.”