Denny Hamlin Uses Questionable Strategy At Atlanta And Finishes 24th
1 month agoWhen it came to Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 team's in-race strategy at Atlanta this past weekend, it left many people scratching their heads. Hamlin had drivetrain issues during qualifying on Saturday and was forced to start dead last for the race, but even after the green flag waves, it appeared as though Hamlin was content with riding around in the back for the entirety of the race. The No. 11 Toyota had an average running position of 30.82 during the race, which was just 33rd-best out of the 38 total cars. Hamlin ended up crossing the finish line in 24th-place, earning just 13 points on the day. After the race, Hamlin said, "I was trying to get 20 points out of the day. That was my goal--just get 20 however we could." The questionable strategy puts Hamlin just two points above the cut line in the playoffs with two races remaining in the first round.
Source: SpeedSport
Source: SpeedSport