Denny Hamlin to bring new setup to Richmond after disappointing finish in May
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin says he expects to fare much better at Richmond this weekend than his 11th-place finish there earlier this year. // LaDon George, NASCAR Illustrated
Denny Hamlin was obviously more than a little disappointed when mechanical issues sent him to the garage at Bristol and Atlanta.
But maybe the most frustrating race of the season came back in May when the Joe Gibbs Racing driver finished 11th at Richmond.
While 11th isn’t really that bad of a finish, Hamlin is not supposed to be finish that “poorly” at Richmond. Growing up in nearby Chesterfield and having extensive experience on short tracks, Hamlin has five top-10 finishes in nine starts there including a victory in the Richmond race a year ago.
“For a lot of guys, it’s a decent finish and it’s a good finish,” Hamlin said after the May event. “But for us, it’s a short track and it’s kind of unacceptable. … It was a shame we had such a bad car. That was a struggle.”
Now it’s time for Hamlin to return to Richmond International Raceway for Saturday night’s Air Guard 400. Hamlin plans on leading laps at Richmond, as he nearly always does. He has led 899 laps in his nine NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race there.
“When I say we ran bad, we ran in the top-10 all day. We weren’t leading laps,” Hamlin said. “I’d led laps every single time I’ve run there and every race in the past. We just weren’t as competitive and that was very frustrating.”
So going back to Richmond, Hamlin isn’t itching for a good finish just to carry momentum into the Chase. He needs one just for personal pride.
“We ran so poorly there in May compared to what we usually do,” Hamlin said last week. “We’re excited to go back there. We feel like we’ve learned a lot since then. I’ve got an open mind when I go back there. I can’t rely on stuff from the past.
“It’s going to be the first week or the first time that we go back there that we really don’t have any notes to go back on. We’re just going to come with a new setup and see how it works.”
The setup brought by crew chief Mike Ford will be designed so that Hamlin can carry momentum through the corners.
“The biggest thing is staying off the brakes,” Hamlin said. “You have to have a car that’s extremely good to stay off the brakes. I told Mike the entire time there in May that I’m running the car like I know I shouldn’t be simply because the car wasn’t handling well and I had to rely on brakes to slow it down.
“Everything gets worse with brakes so for me, I just have to work on staying disciplined and make sure I have a good car.”
A five-time winner in Cup this season, Hamlin sports an average finishing position of 8.77 at Richmond.
