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Denny Hamlin entered the NASCAR playoffs with serious intentions, expecting big things from himself. The experienced driver aimed to start the playoffs with a strong performance and finish in the top 20. However, the 43-year-old ended up in 24th place, caught up in a wreck. After the race, Hamlin noted that he anticipated such scenarios and thought there could have been even more wrecks. He chose not to focus too much on the other participants and instead aimed to finish among the top positions or at least in the middle of the pack. Hamlin is aware of the importance of staying calm, focused, and delivering his best performance.
“I thought there would be a bigger wreck, you know, just trying to play the numbers, figured there would be more incidences than there was,” Hamlin said, as quoted by On3.
“I mean, there were still some playoff guys in some stuff, but overall just, I didn’t care about what anyone else did, just tried to get 20 points which is a mid to high-teen finish. Just trying to get through this round, that’s it.”
The talented NASCAR driver didn’t have the chance to notice everything or understand that a wreck had occurred. Suddenly, he found himself in the midst of the chaos and realized he was in a huge trouble. However, this isn’t the first time he has faced such a situation.
“I didn’t see it, just cars turned sideways and then I got hooked there.”- he continued.
Hamlin explains that he feels okay about his performance, but his main goal for the rounds was to avoid finishing 20th or worse at any of the tracks. He believes that if they manage to meet this goal, they will be in a good position. Although he isn’t sure of his exact finishing position, he knows that the key is to perform well in the upcoming weeks.
Denny Hamlin on the race
Despite having a clear plan and vision for the race, Denny Hamlin knew that at any moment an unpredictable situation could arise and jeopardize everything he had worked for. The experienced driver highlighted how difficult it is to avoid such scenarios, given the nature of the track. Hamlin was not satisfied with the car's balance in the early part of the race. Although things improved later on, it seemed too late to make the necessary changes. Hamlin is disappointed with both his team's performance and his own, but he is motivated to improve in the upcoming races.
“Eh, I don’t know. The track gets so log-jammed there it’s really hard to, and the track is so narrow, it’s really hard to get – just say you’re going to march right to the front. Our balance was not great the first half of the race and we finally got it pretty good there at the end but obviously we had made our bed to just avoid wrecks.”- he continued.
After this race, the experienced driver dropped to 11th place, falling from 6th. This means he will need to significantly improve if he wants to advance in the next rounds. However, based on his comments, Denny Hamlin is not particularly worried about the future. He admitted that his strategy was to stay out of trouble during the race, observe the situation, and potentially capitalize on any momentum that came his way. Hamlin didn’t seem overly disappointed after the race, anticipating that he could correct things in the upcoming races.
NASCAR once again proved to be unpredictable, as it often is. Some drivers surprised everyone, while others fell short of expectations.
Who won and what can we expect?
Joey Logano capitalized the most in this race and emerged as the winner. He demonstrated his qualities and experience, which were crucial for securing the victory. Logano managed to maintain his lead despite facing tough competition that was also waiting for their opportunity.
Ryan Blaney and Daniel Suárez also performed well, suggesting they have strong prospects for the remainder of the season. Christopher Bell once again impressed the Joe Gibbs Racing owners, while Alex Bowman and Tyler Reddick delivered strong performances, finishing 5th and 6th respectively.
While some names were expected at the top, others were truly disappointing. The drivers won’t have much time to reflect on this race, as a new challenge awaits them soon, where they will need to showcase their skills.
In just a few days, NASCAR drivers will have the chance to showcase their skills at The Glen. Many will be under pressure to secure a good result, but they know it won’t be easy. The race will take place on September 14th, and the Shriners Children’s 200 is expected to bring plenty of excitement.
English (US)