Denny Hamlin earned a top-10 end on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, however the postseason continues to be something however clean crusing for his Joe Gibbs Racing group.
“Not a clear day,” Hamlin mentioned after ending eighth. “That definitely sums it up. We did the most effective we may to get the most effective end. I assumed Chris [Gabehart] did an incredible job to get some form of end.
“As soon as we misplaced the observe place early, he was doing the most effective he may to attempt to get it again via technique, after which it goes lengthy there, and we fall to the again. Simply a part of it.”
Hamlin fell out of the highest 10 throughout the first spherical of inexperienced flag pit stops within the South Level 400. The No. 11 crew had a slower pit cease than the competitors that dropped Hamlin within the working order.
Gabehart saved Hamlin on observe to begin the second stage, which gave the group the race lead. Nonetheless, Gabehart wasn’t trying to run away with the race however to regain the misplaced observe place. It didn’t assist a lot as Hamlin rapidly dropped via the sphere on older tires. He completed the stage in nineteenth place.
“We had been off some, however we misplaced a lot observe place clearly on pit highway,” Hamlin mentioned. “So, we weren’t that nice. Definitely not so good as I assumed we’d be after follow (on Saturday). The group did a very good job simply getting the most effective end we may.”
Hamlin known as the struggles on pit highway “not excellent” and that it’s hampering their capacity to complete effectively. It was the identical story at Kansas Speedway when Hamlin needed to struggle for an eighth-place end attributable to an extended day on pit highway.
“However everyone seems to be making an attempt as laborious as they’ll,” Hamlin mentioned.
A top-10 end was the excellent news for Hamlin, however he’s nonetheless behind within the battle to switch to the championship race. Hamlin went from eight factors beneath the cutline to 27 leaving Las Vegas.
“I don’t know the place we’re at, however definitely, we’re not working fairly as robust as we had been earlier within the yr, and we’re positively not as clear, execution-wise, as we had been,” Hamlin mentioned. “We’ll simply have to wash it up and go to Homestead and attempt to win it.”
