Denny Hamlin left the Charlotte Roval with more frustration than relief. His late pass on Ross Chastain meant to gain track position ended up changing the playoff picture , and he says he’d do it differently if he had known what was happening around him.
On his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin said he didn’t realize the move would indirectly help Joey Logano. “If I had known he was going to make a desperate move here, then I would have attacked those last two corners differently,” he said. “It did cost us five spots. I’m not happy about that.”
The Joe Gibbs driver said he didn’t have a clear picture of the cutline as the race wound down. “Truthfully, I wish I would have just known what the last scenario was, and then I could make the best decision I can for me,” he said. “I didn’t know if I was racing for 10th or 25th.”
The pass led to contact between Hamlin and Chastain in the final chicane, spinning both cars. Logano slipped by and finished just ahead of Chastain, which was enough to keep his playoff run alive. “I would not have passed him,” Hamlin admitted. “If I’d known what was at stake, I’d have stayed behind.
What the Mistake Meant for Denny Hamlin
The move didn’t just hurt his finish, it also hurt his prep for next week. “It cost us five spots, and I told Chris Gayle before the race, whatever our strategy is, just make sure we get the best finish we can,” he said. “I care about our finish because I don’t want to go out early in Vegas.”
The #11 team has had a rough playoff run, including a dust-up with Ty Gibbs and a tough result at Bristol. Hamlin said the lack of situational awareness in Charlotte was especially frustrating given how close the margins are at this point in the season.
Asked if he’d rather race Logano or Chastain next week, Hamlin was blunt. “I have no allegiance to any one of those cars,” he said. “I think the 22 has the better shot of winning Phoenix. But I can’t win Phoenix unless I get there first.”
Joey Logano joked he might have to send Hamlin a Christmas present for the help, which might not be funny for Hamlin.
