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FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Chase Elliott was leading in Texas when a right rear tire problem, hard contact with the wall and a fiery finish to the day, knocked him from the top of the race standings.
After the caution light came on when another front-runner had a tire problem, Denny Hamlin spun onto the infield grass in retaliation for a rear-end collision by fellow competitor William Byron that NASCAR didn’t initially see — or yet penalize.
Even Christopher Bell, who had been excellent in the first round of playoffs as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Hamlin, was unable to finish on his home track after a second tire problem sent the crew running out of time to complete repairs on his damaged car. him to the wall.
Concerns expressed by rival teams about Talladega Superspeedway and Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway this three-race season have provided plenty of buzz for Sunday’s 334 laps at the 1 1/2-mile Texas Motor Speedway. Start to round 12.
“It’s just crazy for everybody,” said race runner Joey Logano, who took over the points lead. “Cross your fingers, say a few prayers, I hope it’s not your turn when the tire blows.
All the tire issues contributed to a track record 16 cautions (for 91 laps) – 12 of those for single-car crashes and standard yellows at the end of each race. There was also a 56-minute red flag for Lightning, and a record 36 lead changes between 19 drivers.
Logano was concerned about vibration in the right rear of the car in the closing laps. He finished 1.19 seconds behind Tyler Reddick, a win for Richard Childress Racing that dropped from 16 to 12 drivers a week after he was eliminated from title contention.
None of the four playoff races so far have been won by a driver eligible for the title.
“It’s still good,” Redick said. “I would love to be in the championship race, I really would, but we can’t.”
Even Reddick was divided in the closing rounds about tire problems, including three different leaders, saying, “Probably 50% of my mind was thinking about that.”
Shortly after the caution came out, Martin Truex’s spin in the lead on lap 268, Hamlin was sliding through the field after strong contact from Byron behind him. Byron admitted he did it on purpose when he pressed after the race, frustrated by pushing into Hamlin’s wall at the green flag lap as they ran behind the leader.
“He kicked me out of the room. … We’re lucky we’re done,” Byron said. “I went to show my displeasure. I wasn’t going to hit him and run him over.”
Hamlin stayed with Byron under the caution due to losing ground on the track. Unable to keep up once he got into the grass, Hamlin restarted about 10 rows deep instead of near the front.
“I guess we can take care of each other. I tried to get him back.” said Hamlin. “Yeah, I don’t think it hit us. I’ll have to see. I don’t think it touched us. He sent us out into the field with caution.”
Scott Miller, NASCAR’s senior vpp of competition, said officials did not immediately see the incident, focusing on what caused the caution. Hamlin admitted that he could take the position and Byron was sent to the back of the field. Penalties are still possible when the incident is reviewed.
“By the time we got to the set to do something that would really show the event, we were back in the green,” Miller said.
Hamlin immediately posted a salty tweet to express his displeasure at this.
Elliott was leading past the halfway mark when he hit the wall, and flames were quickly visible on the right side of the No. 9 Chevrolet as he exited the front stretch. He eventually stopped in the middle of the field, and got out unscathed while his car was on fire. He finished 32nd.
“I’m not sure if Goodyear is guilty,” Elliott said. “Goodyear always gets a black eye, but with this car they’re in a tough spot in NASCAR to make a tire that will survive these kinds of races. I don’t blame the bad year.”
Goodyear and NASCAR officials said there were several teams without fatigue issues. According to Miller, these groups indicate that they are conservative on air pressure and are “closer to the recommended minimums” recommended by the tire manufacturer.
“A good year makes a big wheel. This was a great tire that Goodyear built for us,” Childress said. “There’s a fine line to pushing that boundary. It wasn’t the tire as much as trying to be as competitive as you can.”
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