Double-file restarts boost Cup competition says Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin is 12th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings heading into Sunday's LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
// David Griffin, NASCAR Scene
BROOKLYN, Mich. - Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin seems to be a fan of NASCAR's new double-file restart policy, though he admits that management of the cars could be tough at the NASCAR Sprint Cup short tracks.
Hamlin felt things went well when the new procedure that puts all of the lead-lap cars together at the head of the field debuted last weekend at Pocono Raceway.
"It’s going to be good at every race track," he said as he prepares for this weekend's Lifelock 400 at Michigan International Speedway. "NASCAR is going to definitely have a tough time when it comes to the Bristols, the Martinsvilles and those race tracks as far as getting everyone in line. They were fortunate, picking Pocono – they had about five minutes in between pace laps to figure out where everyone went. It’s going to be a good thing for them to start it there and then coming here – they are going to work their way to a smaller race track before they get it perfect. I think it’s good, and I think the competition is going to be great. I think it's going to be good for everyone – the lapped cars as well.”
Hamlin also applauds the decision to allow the leader to choose the inside or outside line when it comes to the restarts.
"There is, at some of these race tracks, a distinct difference in the inside and outside," he said. "If you work so hard to get the lead, you don’t want to have it taken away just because of a caution. I do agree that you should be able to pick, and I do think that third-place needs to always start on the inside. The way they have it now, the format is working pretty well.
"… I think the fans like to see the cars come by two wide coming to the green. It’s just a little bit more exciting.”
