Atlanta 11
Denny Hamlin led Joe Gibbs Racing with an eighth-place finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on a rare Tuesday race following two days of heavy rains from Tropical Storm Lee that forced a postponement from Sunday night’s scheduled running.
The heavy rains over the previous two days would mean a change in track conditions from what the teams had practiced on over the weekend. A heavy cloud cover and several stoppages for a light mist would further play havoc with the conditions on the track.
Denny Hamlin started the No. 11 Charter Communications Toyota in the 13th position and when an early caution came out on lap 11, Crew Chief Mike Ford made the call to remain out and gain track position. The call was a good one as Hamlin restarted fifth and jumped to third on the next lap. Hamlin had his Camry up to second on lap 22 and took the lead just one lap later. He would go on to battle tight handling conditions on the No. 11 Charter Communications Toyota throughout much of the day but still managed to remain inside the top 10. Ford called for adjustments to help the car turn better, but several quick cautions due to on and off light rain would make it difficult to get a clear picture. When the team did have a longer green flag run it was clear Hamlin had one of the better cars on the track. A final pit stop under the green flag on lap 285 allowed one more adjustment, but the No. 11 was just a bit too loose on the final run of the day and he would go on to finish eighth. It was a solid finish for Hamlin who enters the final weekend of racing that will determine the 12 drivers in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship in the second of two wild card positions.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will head to Richmond International Raceway for a Saturday night race that will finalize the field for the Chase For The Nascar Sprint Cup. Coverage of the race will start on Saturday, September 10 at 7 PM ET on ESPN (race starts at 7:30 PM ET). The race will also be carried on Sirius Radio NASCAR channel 90 and MRN Radio.
