Texas Nightmare Straight Out of Halloween For Hamlin

Texas proved to be a trick rather than a treat for Fed Ex Toyota driver Denny Hamlin. He started the Dickies 500 in 17th position and finished in the exact same spot. Not exactly the way you want to come away from a race, especially when you're fighting for a spot in the Chase and there are just 2 races left.

The good news for Hamlin, however is that he heads into Phoenix just 2 points behind 11th place Dale Earnhardt Jr and 3 points behind teammate Kyle Busch who is clinging to the tenth spot in the Chase. There is a bright spot on the horizon for Denny Hamlin and when he shakes off the disappointment of Texas and rebounds, he just might make the stage at the Waldorf Astoria after all.

“We definitely fought a car that was really hard to drive all afternoon,” said a frustrated Hamlin after a long afternoon. “We just didn't get it figured out. The FedEx Office guys tried almost everything they could and we just couldn't get it right. We were loose on exit, tight in the center, we couldn't put the throttle down. There was no reaction out of the front end - you say it, it happened to us. Instead of going up in the points we dropped to 12th in the Chase. Again, we tried everything and nothing fixed the problems. We went 500-miles today - we started 17th and came home in the same spot - unreal. So, we're off to Phoenix where I hope we can rally one for the FedEx team before the season ends.”

It was only the second time in seven starts that Hamlin finished outside of the top ten at Texas Motor Speedway and the result broke a string of two consecutive top-five finishes.

As early as the third lap of the 334-lap race Hamlin was struggling with an ill handling car. On his first pit stop on lap 50 the team made major changes – air pressure adjustment, a wedge adjustment and then added a spring rubber to help the handling of the car but, unfortunately the changes didn't have the desired effect. Hamlin continued to be passed and fell deeper back in the field.

On the radio, Hamlin stated “We just can’t put the throttle down,” referring to his constant struggle for grip off the corners. By his third pit stop on lap 113 he was running 26th and the leaders were catching him and threatening to put Denny a lap down. On lap 132 of 334, then leader Carl Edwards passed Hamlin to drop him a lap down. It was, unfortunately, a lap he would never make up despite several close calls throughout the afternoon.

More pit stops led to more changes and the car got neutral – not worse, for the remainder of the day. Hamlin continued to do battle working his back to 18th by his sixth pit stop on lap 241. He would hold that position as the laps counted down and would pick up the 17th position when Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of fuel.

Texas is a distant memory and right now I'm thinking about the drivel that I found in my inbox today. When I opened my email to check on my favorite NASCAR driver and a man who has become one of my closest friends, I read some of the most heinous words that I have ever had the displeasure to come across. Someone found it appropriate to call Denny a low life scum sucking excuse for a human being and said that he was more like a dog than a person.

Well I take that personally. Denny on the other hand doesn't really care what people have to say about him. While I admire that ability to just let it roll off his back, I just can't do that. Let me make one thing very clear. The media doesn't portray people accurately. You only see what a producer wants you to see. You are only given the questions the reporters are told to ask.

Microphones are thrust into a driver's face when they are at their most frustrating, disappointing, angry moments and their true emotions come out because they are men. NASCAR screams for more emotion and then the media rakes anyone who shows it over the coals and crucifies them for weeks and refuses to let the drama die.

Denny Hamlin's words after Michigan are still brought up by Alan Bestwick on a regular basis. Jimmy Spencer and Kyle Petty take pot shots at Denny every time they are allowed to open their jaws and spew their putrid opinions on national television. Truth is, those guys will never know Denny Hamlin as anything other than their replacement. He will always be the guy they could never be. He has more raw talent in his left arm than they will ever hope to have and they're jealous.

Kyle Petty may be a great guy and do remarkable things for critically ill children and honor the memory of his precious son Adam, but he is not his father. And he really needs to learn how to keep his personal opinions and confrontations out of the media. Yes, he is hired to share how he feels, but his anger and bitterness over a confrontation that is WAY over is still evident and Mr. Petty needs to get over it.

I don't demand that you like my driver. There are so many to choose from and they all deserve to be followed. Everyone deserves a fan. But before you write hateful things that are uncalled for about someone you don't know the first thing about... get to know them. Not what a TV camera shows you. If you don't like Denny Hamlin, that's fine with me. I hope you support someone who deserves your admiration.

To hold an on-track incident with NASCAR's favorite son or his errand boy against Denny is ludacris. There are more scrapes that you don't see than ones the camera actually catches. Let them fight it out and deal with it themselves. It was months ago and it's their battle. It makes for good drama and keeps me tuned in every week. It's inevitable in a male-dominated sport, there will be fights and it will be hilarious. They always are. But hateful words about someone you have never laid eyes on in person is never okay.

The man you called those things has been there for me personally when I needed him and has gone out of his way to be good to me. He's someone's son, friend and hero. He has feelings and the people that read your words care deeply about him even if you don't. You can express yourself without being so evil. I suggest looking at yourself in the mirror and asking how you'd feel if it was said about you or someone precious to you.

Hit send, post published.. blogger out. Off to Phoenix. Man I feel better. Sometimes you just have to get some things off your chest.