Last week was far from ideal for Denny Hamlin and his team at Joe Gibbs Racing, especially at Talladega. Despite a strong run, Hamlin was involved in an unfortunate incident on the track with John Hunter Nemechek, resulting in a disappointing 37th-place finish with a DNF.
🗯️ "It puts a little pressure on you when you run your mouth and say on Monday that you're gonna win the race this weekend." #NASCAR@dennyhamlin called his shot and delivered with his 54th career & 2nd @MonsterMile win.
More from the @JoeGibbsRacing driver in Victory Lane ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/cT1pfBHcUZ
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) April 28, 2024
However, if there’s one driver who knows how to make a confident comeback after setbacks, it’s Denny Hamlin. Once again, he demonstrated his ability to bounce back from adversity by securing a race win at Dover, leaving behind the dark day at Talladega.
Reflecting on his victory, Hamlin acknowledged the pressure he faced, especially after publicly stating his intention to win the race earlier in the week. He humorously remarked, “It puts a little pressure on you when you run your mouth and say on Monday that you’re gonna win the race this weekend.”
Denny Hamlin Spins Out at Talladega
Denny Hamlin, a seasoned NASCAR driver, faced a challenging race at the GEICO 500 held at Talladega Superspeedway.
Toyota’s plan for the race involved running full throttle while Chevrolets and Fords saved fuel. However, a multi-car wreck in Turn 3 disrupted their strategy. Hamlin and his fellow Toyota drivers had initially decided to pit, but they later opted to run wide open. Unfortunately, the stacked-up group in Turn 3 led to a crash, ending Jones, Nemechek, and Hamlin’s race. Tyler Reddick, who avoided the wreck, cycled to the front and ultimately won the race.
During the race, Hamlin fell victim to a puddle on the racetrack while entering pit road. As part of a seven-car pack hitting pit road simultaneously, he got loose while decelerating to pit road speed and made slight contact with John Hunter Nemechek. Hamlin later explained that the puddle was unexpected because NASCAR had diligently dried the racetrack after heavy rain in the area. Water had seeped underneath the surface through cracks in the track, causing the puddle. Despite his spin, Hamlin managed to avoid hitting the inside wall by skillfully maneuvering through the grass.
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