Starting a 400-lap, 600-mile race seven laps down is bad. Just ask Denny Hamlin.
A piece of tungsten fell off Hamlin’s car during the pace laps before Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600. And by the time Hamlin’s crew had a chance to get it back on his car, the field had already completed seven laps.
Hamlin won Wednesday night’s race at Darlington with the help of a little bit of luck. He had to stay out on the track during the final caution flag of the race because he didn’t have any fresh tires left in his pit stall.