(WOMR file photo)
Denny Hamlin had no doubt in his mind Sunday that he had the fastest car in the Lennox Tools 301. In fact, nobody that watched the race, either in person, or on the television, could argue that fact. However, having the fastest race car does not always guarantee a victory.
Kasey Kahne grabbed the victory in the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 after Hamlin and crew chief Darian Grubb had what turned out to be a major miscommunication on a pit stop during the last caution period of the race.
As the cars slowed to get behind the pace car and prepare to pit, Hamlin and Grubb were talking strategy.
“I just think it was a perfect storm,’’ Hamlin said. “The caution came out and we got the pace car rightaway. We just didn’t have enough time to be completely clear what we wanted to do. It was just a miscommunication. I told Darian all it needed was tires and that was it, and he took it that I needed four tires.’’
Most of the contenders, including Kahne, who took the lead, changed two tires, while Hamlin’s crew changed them all and started 14th on the restart with 61 laps to go.
The determined Hamlin made a charge toward the front, using those fresh tires and the fastest car on the track to slice through the pack, like a warm knife through butter, finally getting to second place 24 laps from the end. He cut into a 5-second margin by Kahne but faded in the final laps to finish 2.738 seconds, about 10 car-lengths, behind.
Check out the unofficial results of the Lennox Tools 301.
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
