Fueling issue knocks Hamlin out of contention

The finish near the tail end of the running order pushed Hamlin out from the ranks of the top 12 drivers who will advance to the Contender Round, the next three-race cut in the 10-race Chase postseason. With just one race left — next weekend at Dover International Speedway — to avoid elimination, Hamlin may be scrambling again at the Monster Mile.

“It’s so frustrating because you know on performance you deserve to move on,” Hamlin said in the garage area before the race’s end. “We would have a great shot to move on and really make some noise here in these last eight races, but in this three-race section, you just can’t have one bad week — not right now. You’ve got to be flawless, you’ve got to be at your best these last 10 and we just got bit by a mechanical deal. We’ve had them bite us in Chases in the past, and I thought we were past that, but sometimes you roll the dice and you crap out. Today’s that day for us.”

Hamlin started second in the 43-car field and made his way to the lead after early leader Brad Keselowski was shuffled back during the first round of pit stops. Even after losing the lead to Kevin Harvick on a long green-flag run, it was still smooth sailing until he was forced to pit under green in the 96th lap.

“We’re not getting fuel in the car; just barely,” Hamlin was told of the need for the early stop.

“What do you mean we’re not getting fuel in the car?” he responded.

The problem was eventually diagnosed as an issue with the fuel probe, which impeded the flow of gas into the No. 11’s tank. During the next caution period, starting in the 105th lap, a lengthy stay on pit road forced Hamlin to return to the race four laps back of the leader in 37th place.

During the interminably long stop, Hamlin vented: “We suck at this. We are so bad.”

That led to a testy reply from crew chief Darian Grubb: “Dude, I don’t need you doing this. Keep your mouth shut until we get this fixed.”

After a cooling-off period while his crew worked, Hamlin didn’t assign blame but lamented the turn of events that dramatically altered his Chase outlook.

“I don’t think it was anyone’s fault, I don’t think, but we couldn’t get fuel in it from the get-go,” Hamlin said. “Don’t know where that’s coming from or what it’s all about, but you just can’t have any mistakes in this three-race Chase deal. We went from looking pretty and probably going to coast our way to the next round to a long shot at best. So it’s frustrating, but what can you do about it? You really can’t do anything about it, obviously. You’ve just got to suck it up, move on and try to do the best you can next week.”

Hamlin was already well removed from victory contention when he was snared in a crash ahead of him, adding another wrinkle to an already disappointing day. Hamlin was unable to avoid the stalled and crippled car of David Ragan, skidding into the melee and forcing him to take the car behind the wall.

Now the pressure turns to Dover, a demanding track where Hamlin has twice captured the Coors Light Pole Award, but has finished no better than fourth. Hamlin said his team’s approach won’t necessarily change, but that he’ll need performance and luck on his side.

“You just try to do the best you can to get the best finish and hope for some help,” Hamlin said as the race continued without him. “I mean, there’s a long way to go in this race, and I hate to say it, but maybe some guys have some trouble and let us back in it. Other than that, it’s going to be hard for us to do it without some help.”

Contributing: Kenny Bruce

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