Crew chief Chris Gabehart recently shared his thoughts on Denny Hamlin’s underwhelming performance at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where Hamlin, driving the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, finished in 24th place. The outcome was far from what the team had hoped for, as Hamlin earned just 13 points. The race took an unexpected turn due to Hamlin’s cautious approach, which was aimed at avoiding early wrecks but left him unable to make a significant push towards the front. Ultimately, his day ended with a crash on the final lap.
In a recent interview, Gabehart revealed that he and Hamlin had agreed on a conservative strategy at the start of the race, intending to steer clear of potential early accidents that often occur on Atlanta’s track. The idea was to lay back during the opening laps, letting the field settle before making any aggressive moves. However, Gabehart explained that he didn’t anticipate Hamlin would remain so passive throughout the race, which he believes contributed to their poor finish.
“I didn’t expect the rest of it to be as conservative as it was on his behalf, and we didn’t plan that together,” Gabehart admitted. “Had I known this was more of a concern for him, I would have discussed it with him in greater detail before the race. I wish we could have adjusted our strategy accordingly.”
The team’s approach was partly influenced by Hamlin’s poor qualifying session and some early technical issues, which set him up for a difficult day on the track. Gabehart emphasized that both he and Hamlin were on the same page at the beginning, as they understood Atlanta’s unpredictability and the high risk of early wrecks. “Certainly, at the start, we were aligned on taking a cautious approach. Atlanta has proven to be volatile early on, so we both agreed that hanging back for a few laps to let the race settle was a smart move. We didn’t want to get caught up in any early incidents,” he explained.
However, the strategy of holding back didn’t pay off as expected. While Hamlin was trying to avoid trouble, his teammates, Martin Truex Jr. and Ty Gibbs, adopted more aggressive approaches and managed to secure better results. Their success highlighted the downside of Hamlin’s overly cautious driving style that day, as it left him struggling to move up the field when it mattered most.
After the race, Hamlin, who had already experienced multiple crashes at the Atlanta track earlier in the season, expressed his frustration with how the day unfolded. Despite his best efforts to stay out of harm’s way, he found himself caught in a wreck on the final lap. “Just saw cars turning sideways in front of me. Tried to avoid wrecks all day and just got in the last one,” Hamlin said in a post-race interview. He also pointed out how difficult it was to navigate through the field late in the race due to heavy traffic and congestion. “At the very end, I thought we finally had the Mavis Tire Camry in a good place, but by then, the track was jammed up, and there wasn’t much room to maneuver. I was just trying to avoid the wrecks, but it was too late.”
This disappointing result has serious implications for Hamlin as he approaches the final stretch of the season. He currently holds a small lead above the playoff cutline, but with only a few races left, he will need to deliver strong performances to secure his spot in the playoffs. The upcoming races at Watkins Glen and Bristol will be crucial for Hamlin’s playoff hopes.
Hamlin himself reflected on the race during an episode of his podcast, admitting that his cautious strategy may have been a mistake. He noted that had a caution come out at the right moment, it could have dramatically improved his finish. “Looking back, I might have been too conservative. A timely caution would have really helped us out, but that’s racing,” he said. Now, Hamlin must regroup and focus on the races ahead to keep his playoff chances alive.
