NASCAR’s Hamlin Would’ve Done Differently by Chastain

Denny Hamlin was angry after the Bank of America Roval 400. Not because he finished 23rd, but because his team didn’t tell him that when he passed Ross Chastain on the race’s final lap, he kept the Trackhouse Racing driver from advancing in the playoffs and allowed Joey Logano into the Round of 8.

“I wish I had known,” said Hamlin, who advanced in the playoffs. “I didn’t know anything about anything on that last run. I didn’t know if I was racing for 10th or 30th.”

When the final lap began in the 109-lap race, Chastain was one point above the cutline and Logano was one point below. When Hamlin passed Chastain, that put the Chevrolet driver and Logano even, but Logano possessed the advantage on the tie breaker.

Chastain desperately tried to pass Hamlin in the front stretch chicane en route to the checkered flag, hit Hamlin, and spun both of them. Chastain desperately backed across the finish line in an effort to get there ahead of Logano, but failed. Logano finished 20th and Chastain 21st. That advanced Logano by four points.

“I don’t fault Ross at all,” Hamlin said. “I just wish I knew so I could have been either prepared or made a different decision.

“I didn’t even hear anything from the spotter about, like, closing or anything. “I didn’t know anything about anything going on. Obviously, the 1 (Chastain) was in a position there, and, obviously, we got caught in it.”

Hamlin said Chastain was slipping and he thought if he passed him, it would move him up in the metric for qualifying at Las Vegas next week. However, now because of Hamlin’s move on the final lap, he must deal with Logano in the Round of 8. Hamlin talked with Chastain after the race.

The other drivers who failed to advance were Tyler Reddick, who finished 10th, Bubba Wallace who placed 15th, and Austin Cindric, who placed 36th, 22 laps down.