Power steering issues spoil the chance for Hamlin’s 60th win.
With an all-JGR front row, it really seemed like this would be another weekend where Toyota would triumph. That beacon of possibility shone especially bright for Denny Hamlin, who is eager to notch career win number 60 – and lock his way into the Round of 8.
Unfortunately, fate, circumstance, or just pure dumb luck had other ideas for the #11 team. By all accounts, their race was executed nearly perfectly. However, with 37 cars on track, there’s always a chance for chaos in your average four-plus-hour Sunday race. Murphy’s Law persists, and if something bad can happen, it very often will. That’s a huge part of what makes wins so special.
Despite winning the first and second stages and leading a majority of the laps, Hamlin was fighting the car for much of the race. A failure of the power steering system made the car a real handful to drive, and as the laps wound down, fatigue was evident. Regardless, Hamlin held on as best he could.
Hamlin would lose six spots on his final two-tire stop due to a jack issue, but fight back up towards the front on the second green/white/checker finish of the day. That second overtime would come thanks to Zane Smith‘s wild ride along the fence that culminated in a pair of barrel rolls. Murphy’s Law strikes again. Smith’s wreck was caused by contact with John Hunter Nemechek, who had caused another wreck earlier in the day.
The thrilling last lap featured a three-way attack on Bubba Wallace from JGR teammates Hamlin, Christopher Bell, and Chase Briscoe. Hamlin would edge ahead to take the fight to Wallace, but his continued power steering issues made car control difficult.
He would end up making contact with Wallace, forcing the #23 to tap the wall and slowing both cars down enough to allow Chase Elliott to sneak in and grab the win, advancing himself to the next round of the playoffs.
It was a frustrating day for Hamlin on multiple fronts. Prior to his contact with Wallace, the top five cars were all Toyotas, two of which were cars he co-owns at 23XI. To lose all of that to a Hendrick Chevrolet has to be absolutely sickening – especially considering that both 23XI playoff cars now sit below the cut line. It’ll be two weeks before he’ll be back on an oval, as the series heads to the Charlotte Oval for the cutoff race this weekend.
Photo: Getty Images
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