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Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin headed to Charlotte over the weekend with a new crew chief after the suspension of his official crew chief, Chris Gabehart. Sam McCauley was the one calling the shots at the No.11 pit box last Sunday.
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Having a crew chief that a driver is not used to can sometimes be worrying for them, and that was the case for Denny Hamlin. He said that one thing he was worried about was communication, since he was used to Gabehart.
However, this did not stop the 41-year-old, as he went on to steal the show in the final minutes of the second overtime and carried the win home. Speaking to the media, Hamlin said:
“It means a lot and something I was worried about all day. One thing I was worried about all day was just the communication with Sam (McCauley, substitute crew chief), I’m so used to Chris (Gabehart, crew chief) and then to have two very young and new guys over the wall for us, it worried me.”
Following their impressive work in the pit box to help him clinch the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 trophy, Denny Hamlin showered the pit crew with praise, stating:
“They did a fabulous job handling the race, of knowing when to push and knowing when to have a smart stop and they honestly kept me in it and gave me a chance.”
It was his first of four races with Sam McCauley. The two have good chemistry from the look of things, and if the trend continues, we might see another win next weekend at the World Wide Technology Raceway.
Denny Hamlin added the missing trophy to his record after a long wait
The No.11 was really aiming for this trophy since it was the only major one that was missing from his resume. To secure that, he bagged the pole, which helped him race in the top ten for the better part of the day.
Though he was not in the lead for most of the race, despite starting at the pole, he was one of the fastest drivers the whole day. Hamlin tried to avoid wrecks in the Coca-Cola 600, however, he was eventually collected in a 13-car wreck. Fortunately, his car did not incur severe damage and he could race further. He ultimately edged his teammate Kyle Busch by 0.199 seconds and took the victory.
Catch Denny Hamlin next week at the World Wide Technology Raceway for the Enjoy Illinois 300 presented by TicketSmarter.
