In a thrilling NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond, Denny Hamlin emerged victorious after an eventful finish. Short-track racing often involves late passes for the win, and this race was no exception. The dramatic moment occurred on pit road during the final laps. The late pass was the talk of the town and everyone asked for a review of the incident and took appropriate steps against Denny Hamlin but his crew chief has an opposite mindset.
Denny Hamlin’s crew chief warns NASCAR
🗣️ "If you're going to penalize the 11 car in that instance, you must also penalize the 19, the 22 & the 5."@RichmondRaceway winning crew chief Chris Gabehart (@CG1751) shares his take on the final restart that saw @dennyhamlin bring home the win.
🎧 → https://t.co/MKhd9eLXG8 pic.twitter.com/CqpcqbODcq
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) April 4, 2024
As per the discussion on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Denny Hamlin’s crew chief Chris Gabehart asserted that Denny was fully aware of the situation and made a calculated racing move. He likened the last lap pass to a chess match among the drivers, emphasizing their awareness of the strategic moves involved.
Gabehart noted that Denny effectively utilized his advantage from the pit stop and knew precisely what he was doing. He concluded by cautioning NASCAR about the implications of such situations.
“If you’re going to penalize the 11 car in that instance, you must also penalize the 19, the 22 & the 5.”
Denny Hamlin denies the charges his teammate issued
Martin Truex was disappointed by the move and stated, “It’s unfortunate. Unfortunately, this has happened a few times over the years. Just got beat out of the pits and then, I don’t know. He (Hamlin) jumped the start and used me up in Turn 1”
Truex, who had led an impressive 228 of the final 256 laps, left the race frustrated. He believed that Hamlin had jumped the restart by hitting the gas before entering the restart zone. However, NASCAR reviewed the restart and deemed it legal. Hamlin strategically timed his move to beat both Truex and Joey Logano, who was behind him. In Hamlin’s words, “This is a team win for sure”.
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