While the other front-runners pitted for tires and gas, Denny Hamlin’s crew made the calculated risk of staying on the track and seizing the lead, crossing their fingers that his No. 11 Chevrolet had another three laps in the tank.
But as he approached the line for what he hoped would be the final restart of Sunday’s Pep Boys Auto 500, Hamlin immediately sensed trouble when he hit the throttle. His car stalled and was tagged hard from behind by contenders Martin Truex Jr. and then Kyle Busch, creating a wild shake-up that Jimmie Johnson emerged from with the victory. Gary Graves, USAToday.com
For the first time all day, Denny Hamlin had the lead in the Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His fuel was running low but there were just three laps to go, so he gambled on staying out on the track rather than pitting during the race’s 12th caution.
As the green flag waved for the restart, everyone stepped on the gas. But Hamlin’s No. 11 FedEx Chevy hesitated, causing chaos behind him. Those that could went around him, but there was contact as the cars scattered. In the smoke and dust, Martin Truex Jr. plowed into Hamlin, bringing out another yellow flag.
“All day we’d been getting water in our fuel,” Hamlin said. “The water displaces fuel and so we weren’t getting the full potential of fuel.”
When he hit the gas, Hamlin said, “It took off and then it stopped.” Al Tays. PalmBeachPost.com
Denny Hamlin was four laps from his second victory of the season when water ruined his day.
Water had gotten into his fuel somehow, causing his car to sputter on the restart, piling up cars behind him and sending him to a 24th-place finish.
Samples from the car were taken to NASCAR, which also drew samples from the Sunoco fuel tanks at Atlanta Motor Speedway. No water was found in the samples from Sunoco, but both Hamlin’s team and that of Dave Blaney had given samples to NASCAR. Jill Erwin, InRich.com
“I hate it for the guys behind us who got caught up in the wreck,’’ said Hamlin, who blamed the stall on water getting into his fuel supply. “It’s a situation where the guy in front of you ducks out of the way, and right there is another car. There’s nothing (Truex) could have done. It’s not his fault I’m sitting there in the middle of the track.’‘
Hamlin went to the lead after Johnny Sauter cut a tire, bringing out the caution flag on the 318th of a scheduled 325 laps. While the other leaders ducked into the pits, Hamlin gambled that he had enough rubber left on his tires and enough fuel in his tank to get to the finish first.
When Knaus spotted leader Kyle Busch have trouble in the pits, he made the call to go with two tires instead of four. Johnson got out of the pits first and pulled in behind Denny Hamlin, who decided to stay out and hope he had enough rubber and gas to remain in the lead.
Having another charmed year, Johnson barely slipped by Hamlin to grab the lead. Carl Edwards and Dale Earnhardt Jr. also got through, setting up a two-lap shootout when the green flag came out again on lap 328.
Hamlin ran out of gas on a restart Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, setting off a wild melee that took out several leading contenders. Martin Truex Jr., who led more laps (135) than anyone else in the Pep Boys Auto 500, slammed into the back of Hamlin’s stalled car and wound up 31st.
Paul Newberry, Times-News.com
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