Juan Pablo Montoya and Denny Hamlin couldn't say what might have happened if a caution hadn't short-circuited the final lap of the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.
They did, however, agree on one thing.
"It was up to him," Montoya said as Hamlin walked in to join the postrace interviews.
Hamlin agreed, but he never got a chance to play that potentially decisive role when at least 12 cars piled up behind the leaders to force NASCAR to slow the field and allow Kyle Busch to keep from having to fend off what could have been one last challenge.
Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota had been strong all day. He led 37 laps, but dropped back after a restart on Lap 169 when he made a little mistake.
"I just got too far out there," Hamlin said. "The 12 and those guys just had a huge run. They were going to have to either slam into me or make a move to pass me."
Hamlin was talking about Ryan Newman's Dodge, and Newman did sweep past and led a freight train that dumped Hamlin well back in the pack.
But he fought his way back and was right behind Montoya after Busch blunted Jeff Gordon's bid to take the lead with just less than two laps to go.
Montoya - called "my savior all day" by Busch after he'd helped push the eventual winner back into contention after Busch rallied from a lap down - reacted to that move as well and was second. But that left him between a pair of Joe Gibbs Racing teammates and in need of help of his own to go forward.
It was help Montoya didn't expect to get.
"I don't think you can plan anything," said Montoya, who matched his best stock-car oval track finish with second. He was also runner-up at Indianapolis last year. "You depend so much on what people behind you do."
That left it to Hamlin, and it sounded afterward as if he did have a plan - or at least a hope - of what he might have done given the chance.
"I would have had some backlash if I had pushed Juan to a win," Hamlin said. "That's just part of it.
"If it wasn't a teammate I probably would have pushed Juan to the outside if the leader stayed on the inside because Juan and I really worked so well to stay together."
Even with Busch leading, Hamlin said he probably would have pushed Montoya up beside the leader on a final charge.
"If those two would have bogged each other down enough, I would try to get by for the win," Hamlin said. "If he stayed, I was going to have to stay on Kyle's bumper. But if he moved up to block, I was going to make a three-wide move."
Montoya said he was happy to get second. It’s the eighth straight race in which he's finished 20th or better but his first top 10 and top five of the year. It also moved him up to 12th in the points, a jump of five positions.
They did, however, agree on one thing.
"It was up to him," Montoya said as Hamlin walked in to join the postrace interviews.
Hamlin agreed, but he never got a chance to play that potentially decisive role when at least 12 cars piled up behind the leaders to force NASCAR to slow the field and allow Kyle Busch to keep from having to fend off what could have been one last challenge.
Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota had been strong all day. He led 37 laps, but dropped back after a restart on Lap 169 when he made a little mistake.
"I just got too far out there," Hamlin said. "The 12 and those guys just had a huge run. They were going to have to either slam into me or make a move to pass me."
Hamlin was talking about Ryan Newman's Dodge, and Newman did sweep past and led a freight train that dumped Hamlin well back in the pack.
But he fought his way back and was right behind Montoya after Busch blunted Jeff Gordon's bid to take the lead with just less than two laps to go.
Montoya - called "my savior all day" by Busch after he'd helped push the eventual winner back into contention after Busch rallied from a lap down - reacted to that move as well and was second. But that left him between a pair of Joe Gibbs Racing teammates and in need of help of his own to go forward.
It was help Montoya didn't expect to get.
"I don't think you can plan anything," said Montoya, who matched his best stock-car oval track finish with second. He was also runner-up at Indianapolis last year. "You depend so much on what people behind you do."
That left it to Hamlin, and it sounded afterward as if he did have a plan - or at least a hope - of what he might have done given the chance.
"I would have had some backlash if I had pushed Juan to a win," Hamlin said. "That's just part of it.
"If it wasn't a teammate I probably would have pushed Juan to the outside if the leader stayed on the inside because Juan and I really worked so well to stay together."
Even with Busch leading, Hamlin said he probably would have pushed Montoya up beside the leader on a final charge.
"If those two would have bogged each other down enough, I would try to get by for the win," Hamlin said. "If he stayed, I was going to have to stay on Kyle's bumper. But if he moved up to block, I was going to make a three-wide move."
Montoya said he was happy to get second. It’s the eighth straight race in which he's finished 20th or better but his first top 10 and top five of the year. It also moved him up to 12th in the points, a jump of five positions.
DAVID POOLE The Charlotte Observer
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