Denny Hamlin made it. Barely.
After the opening pair of races in this segment of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver bemoaned his lack of luck. This time, he had to feel fortunate as he finished third at Talladega Superspeedway, a position that gave him the tiebreaker over Austin Dillon and vaulted him into the Round of 8 of the Chase.
The tiebreaker came down to best finish in this round; Dillon’s was sixth.
Hamlin admitted that he was “indecisive” on the final lap as he moved out of the lower lane, then back down into it.