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Powered Down - Hamlin, FedEx Racing 15th at AtlantaTeam Fights Through Steering Failure for Top-20 Finish
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Going into Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Racing Team knew they were facing a huge early-season challenge. Practice at the blazing fast intermediate track had not gone well and the team was forced to make significant changes to the #11 FedEx Ground Camry following the final session - changes that wouldn't be evaluated until Hamlin took the green flag with 42 other cars.
It didn’t take long for Hamlin to inform the team that the car felt much improved, but it was the performance on speed chart and scoring tower that truly told the story. Pushing forward, Hamlin climbed into the top five by lap 68 and would run high as second place before the halfway point. Unfortunately, a potentially great run was spoiled when Hamlin radioed the crew that there was something wrong with the front end of the car.
After a visit to pit road, the team diagnosed the problem as being the steering box and they were left with little in the way of options for fixing it. Crew Chief Mike Ford informed Hamlin of the problem and let him know he would have to do best to ride out the race.
Hamlin just did that, and more. Despite being without power steering on a fast track, and with a tire that was providing little aid in itself, the third year driver put on a clinical display over the final half of the race to bring the FedEx Camry home in 15th.
"It was tough going out there today," said Hamlin. "We really had a good car, it was hooked up from the start but we lost our power steering halfway through the race and it was all I could do just to ride out the race - but we ended up picking some positions too. We struggled bad in practice on Friday and Saturday but this FedEx Crew really worked hard and I have to thank them for putting a really good car together for today. I hate that a mechanical issue took away what could have been a good finish for this team but we'll take a top-15 and look ahead to Bristol."
Joe Gibbs Racing's Kyle Busch led eight times for a total of 173 laps on his way to his first win of the season. It was the first of the year for Joe Gibbs Racing and the first Cup win for Toyota. JGR's Tony Stewart turned in a great run to finish second while Dale Eanrhardt, Jr. third.
Hamlin heads to Bristol sitting 19th in points, only 57 points behind Matt Kenseth, and the Chase cutoff, in 12th place.
"I am happy for Kyle, everyone at Toyota and to all the folks at JGR who put their efforts into this program," said Hamlin. "We saw how competitive this team can be on its day, with all three cars running at or near the front. That is where we want to be. I wish we would have been there with Kyle and Tony at the end, but this is a big day for the whole team."
From the drop of the green, the tone of Hamlin's voice certainly reassured the crew that the all of the work put into the #11 following practice had paid off in performance.
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By the time the first caution flew on lap 39 for debris, Hamlin had climbed from his starting position of 22nd all the way up to seventh. On pit road, Ford called for four tires, fuel and a slight wedge adjustment to help free up the FedEx Camry through the center of the turns.
The next green-flag run was one of the best of the race for the#11 team as Hamlin turned in some of the fastest laps on the track, pushing his way into the top five and showing that, along with his JGR teammates, the Toyotas were up to the Atlanta challenge.
The second caution of the day flew on lap 86 and again Ford called Hamlin to pit road. Quick work by the #11 crew to change four tires, fill the car with fuel and make an air pressure adjustment has Hamlin out to restart third on lap 89.
After Hamlin pulled away the crew closely inspected the tires that came off of the car and found that the right-side tires were blistering. Back on the radio, both Ford and team spotter Curtis Markham urged Hamlin to do all that he could to conserve the tires.
The next run would ultimately prove to be the start of the trouble for the #11 team. Hamlin, in regular communication with the crew, informed them that the front splitter was making significant contact with the track as he made his way into turns three and four. This was true regardless of speed in, or line through, the corners.
On pit road under a lap 114 caution, the team went to work on the problem, inserting packers on the right front shock to help hold that front-right side off the track. The extended stop meant Hamlin would lose over ten spots on pit road but, in order to correct the situation, it was an easy decision.
In the short run the changes appeared to help, if not make the drive more comfortable for Hamlin. It didn't take long for the class of the #11 to show as Hamlin easily knifed his way into the top ten to join his JGR teammates.
The first green-flag stop of the day came on lap 168 with Denny running in fourth place. Ford called for air pressure and wedge adjustment to go with four tires and fuel and the crew had Hamlin out quick to cycle through in third place with 156 laps to go.
On lap 182 Hamlin keyed the microphone to tell the crew he thought he had cut a right-front tire and would be coming to pit road as soon as he could. He ably navigated his way to the apron and pulled onto pit road. The crew changed both right-side tires and sent Hamlin out to rejoin the field but the next communication from the cockpit of the #11 would raise more alarms.
Telling the crew that he had lost his power steering, the team scrambled to devise a plan to inspect - and hopefully - fix the problem.
A caution on lap 198 gives the crew a chance to check the damage and it turned out to be worse than they expected. The steering box was broken and would need to be replaced. Unable to make that repair on pit road, the team was left with only two options. Take the car to the garage or send Hamlin out to run out the race without the assistance of power steering. The second option proved to be the only option for this team and, after consecutive lap stops on pit road, they sent Hamlin out restart 20th on lap 204.
The remaining one hundred laps were anything but easy for Hamlin and the team. Down a lap, Hamlin found himself mired in traffic and fighting both lead lap cars and the cars looking for the free pass back onto the lead lap.
Struggling to turn each lap without the steering to assist him, Hamlin methodically pushed forward. Twice he made his way back from the 20th position but the combination of track and tire conditions, and a pass-through penalty for a pit road mistake, meant he would never return to the lead lap.
By the time the checkered flag flew, a mentally and physically exhausted Hamlin had worked his way back up to 15th place. On a day when things could have ended much worse, a 15th-place finish is a good result for the FedEx team. It's also a great testament to the perseverance and quality of both driver and team.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series continues next weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.