AVONDALE, Ariz. – Denny Hamlin became the second of the five remaining Championship 4 contenders to see their title hopes end with a blown tire late in Sunday afternoon’s Can-Am 500 at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.
Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott made contact with Hamlin with 42 laps to go in the penultimate Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race of the season. Then, about seven laps later, Hamlin’s tire finally let go entering Turn 3, sending him hard into the wall.
Hamlin sustained enough damage from the incident to knock him out of the race.
Call it hard racing, point to it a retaliation or just classic short track – it’s not hard to think that the late race tango at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in late October quite possibly played a role in the outcome.
Two weeks ago, Hamlin looking to punch his ticket into the Championship 4 moved Elliott from the lead with a few laps remaining. The contact sent Elliott’s Chevrolet hard into the outside wall. Hamlin would eventually seventh after getting roughed up on the final restart.
A subdued Hamlin in the garage didn’t point fingers or lose his cool.
“I mean, each person had their own opinion of how they do things and it just proved to the people that thought I was a bad guy that he would do the exact same thing in the same circumstances, so, I mean, you know, it’s just part of racing,” said Hamlin.
“I got into him and he chose to retaliate, so I’m in the garage and that’s the way it is. We did a great job all day. This is the best car I’ve had in a very long time. We just got behind on the pit stops and then that just gave those guys an opportunity to get close.
“We had a fast car all day. We did essentially our job all day long. We put ourselves in good position. Things just didn’t work there at the end.”
With Hamlin falling back through the field with a tire rub, Elliott charged his No. 24 Hooters Chevrolet forward to the race lead on Lap 284, but lost the lead 20 laps later when Kenseth surged back into the lead forcing Elliott to settle for second and no hope for a Championship title at Homestead on Nov. 19.
Elliott wouldn’t trap himself to say he intentionally rubbed fenders with Hamlin enough to put him into the wall, but rather said he races others as they race him.
“Oh, well I’m going to race guys how they race me and keep a smile on my face regardless,” Elliott said. “I’m happy to race guys how they choose to race me and that’s the way I see it.”
Elliott tallied his fifth runner-up performance of the season, but said his car got too tight at the end to hold off an adamant Kenseth.
“Yeah, our car was really good on the short run after those cautions and the rubber got picked up. As I went, I just got tighter and tighter and couldn’t keep it turning and couldn’t roll the middle like I needed to.
“I felt like I might have had enough to keep him back there if I hit all my marks and got really tight off (Turn) 2 and made it one lap and basically gave away all my gap and once he got there it was obviously hard to hold him off.
“Man, it’s such a bummer to be so freaking close again. Had a shot to go race for a championship next week, so we fought as hard as we could today. I told my guys a minute ago, at some point we will figure out how to close or I will figure out how to close and we can have some great opportunities down the road, I hope.
“I felt like I gave my 110 percent today, although very disappointed, again, to be so dang close to winning and having a chance to race for a championship. Learning the hard way, I guess, in some ways, but it’s hopefully making me a better person and making us better down the road.”
When Hamlin was asked if the animosity ended with the checkered flag at Phoenix, the 31-time Cup winner quickly rebutted, “We’re just going to keep racing as hard as we can every week and try to go out there and win Homestead (Miami Speedway) and make sure our competition doesn’t.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
