Denny Hamlin found himself exactly where he wanted to be in the closing laps of Sunday’s Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway — in the lead with two laps to go. However, despite his best efforts to defend, Hamlin’s shot at victory slipped away when Ryan Blaney passed him in Turns 3 and 4, followed by Tyler Reddick, his 23XI Racing driver, making the final move on the last lap.
Reflecting on the outcome, Hamlin acknowledged he struggled to get the performance he needed on the short run. “I tried to cover all lanes, but just couldn’t quite get off the corner as good as I needed to there on that short run,” Hamlin said. “Short runs weren’t my specialty all day. Controlling the race with two to go, you’ve got to find a way to finish it, and I just didn’t.”
Hamlin’s team played a strategic game throughout the race. Crew chief Chris Gabehart used long green flag runs to maintain track position, often giving Hamlin fresh tires to capitalize on the long runs. The strategy worked in stage two, where Hamlin drove through the field to claim the stage win. The same approach positioned him third with 13 laps remaining, right before the race’s final caution allowed Hamlin to close in on Blaney and Reddick for a thrilling seven-lap sprint to the finish.
After restarting on the outside of the second row, Hamlin quickly took the lead, but Blaney closed the gap by running the low line. Although the day didn’t end with a win, Hamlin closed his deficit in the points standings, moving from a 27-point gap to an 18-point difference ahead of next weekend’s elimination race at Martinsville.
With one last chance to secure his Championship-4 spot, Hamlin remains optimistic: “It’s another opportunity. Certainly, you’re not out of it until they throw the checkered flag at Martinsville.” The No. 11 team heads into Martinsville with everything on the line, hoping for a strong performance to extend their championship hopes.
