Denny Hamlin: Homestead race was 'NASCAR racing 101'
Denny Hamlin enjoyed competing in this year’s Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday. On the Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin talked about the race that was the second of NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8.
“I thought the race was fantastic,” Hamlin said. “The racing is as good as it gets at that racetrack. Most people on the internet have all agreed that this place is fantastic for being able to do slide jobs, race side-by-side. It’s got a great mix of everything. It just seems like geometrically, it’s just right to where if you run the high line, you’re going to give up time on entry, but you’re going to make big time on exit. Then you come together on the exit of the corner and drag race it out.
“It was just perfectly mapped out when they put this racetrack on the schedule and very unfortunate we’re not going to see it even in the playoffs next year. …Certainly from a purist standpoint, that is NASCAR racing 101.
Hamlin came up short of winning the Homestead race as he finished third. He did not leave the race empty-handed as his 23XI Racing driver, Tyler Reddick, earned the victory and is now headed to the Championship 4 (also known as the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race).
Top 10
- 1New
Sankey SEC warning
Faking injury will be penalty, suspension
- 2Hot
Drew Allar
Penn State QB expected to play vs. Ohio State
- 3
Will Johnson
Michigan star out vs. Oregon, per CBS Sports
- 4
Revenue-sharing
Conferences set initial cap on revenue-sharing, per Dellenger
- 5
Tim Tebow
Georgia WRs 'need to show up'
Denny Hamlin reacts to third-place finish at Homestead
After the race, Hamlin talked about falling short of winning at Homestead and clinching a spot in the championship race. I try to cover all lanes but just couldn’t quite get off the corner as good as I needed to there on that short run,” Hamlin explained. “And um, short run wasn’t my specialty all day obviously. But either way, you know, controlling the race two to go, you got to try to find a way to finish it and uh, just didn’t.”
Hamlin was asked if setting up for the long run cost him on Sunday. “Yeah I mean, I want to be faster on the shorter run but it’s just, you know, a lot of it is what we build into the car and things like that,” he said. But [crew chief] Chris [Gabehart] gave me everything I needed there to try to race them. Just didn’t get it done.”
On3’s Jonathan Howard contributed to this story.