Runner-up doesn't soothe Hamlin's pit-road wounds (cont'd)

Statistics show Hamlin has led more laps in the Car of Tomorrow (563) than any other driver, and that includes any driver inside the Hendrick stable, the team that has won all five COT races this season.

Hamlin was mildly critical of NASCAR for not throwing a caution late in the race for a plethora of debris he said he saw on the track.

"I literally pumped my fist, the caution would come out and of course if the caution comes out, it's game over ... Hendrick gets another break," he said.

NASCAR spokesperson Kerry Tharp said officials saw the debris, however, ruled it was "low on the racetrack and outside the racing groove."

So far this season, Hamlin has led 611 laps and has led at least one lap in each of the last four races. He has four third-place finishes and now a second-place finish heading into Saturday night's All-Star race.

"We had a really good car right from the get-go," he said. "We started off strong, were good through the midpoint. We got off on one green-flag run where we fell back to third or so. But we fixed it on that pit stop and our car, really, just seemed like the best car all day."