Becca's Denny Hamlin Blog: Mar 30, 2009

Monday, March 30, 2009

Is It Wrong To Pray For Someone's Demise?

Every Sunday in my Sunday School class, one of the men in class is teased about a statement he made a few months ago. When asked how we know we've forgiven someone who has wronged us, my friend Tom proudly proclaimed "I realize I stopped praying for their demise".

It is a statement that brought forth riotous laughter from everyone but his embarrassed wife. And it is something that he has yet to live down. His honesty was priceless and if the rest of us followed his example, we would have to admit we all do the exact same thing. All be it silently, or not quite as proudly, we all wish for the demise of people who did us wrong.

This weekend, Jimmie Johnson is on my list of people whose demise I am not so secretly praying for. How he raced Denny Hamlin in the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 Sunday was low class, dirty and typical for the cheater.

My Mom taught me that if I have nothing nice to say, I should say nothing at all. Sorry Mom, but I'd never be allowed to speak again if I followed that advice at this point. I am irate and it's time I speak my mind.

It's been 6 weeks and I have yet to give my opinion of a single race on the blog that I dedicated to doing just that. I have been chill and solemn, just watching and waiting. Picking my battles carefully and plotting my message diligently. Take cover...here it comes.

Have you heard the song "Gives You Hell" by the All American Rejects? It is my new all-time favorite song at this point and my current anthem. "When you see my face, hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell. When you walk my way, hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell." Well Jimmie Johnson...those words are for you. When you see your friend Denny Hamlin's face...I hope it gives you hell!

If you can't pass a guy cleanly, if you have to get him way up the race track in order to stay ahead of him in order to win, you aren't better. You're just plain dirty. Oh wait! I already knew that about the defending champion and his entire team.

While I struggle to hold my tongue and lay the hot-mess that is Jimmie Johnson out for the world to see, Denny Hamlin handled the situation with class. His interview following the incident still leaves me in awe. WOW! D Ham has matured and I am impressed. Welcome to NASCAR Mr. Hamlin...we've been waiting for you.

Anyone who knows Denny Hamlin at all knows how special Martinsville is to the Virginia native. And for him to have another victory slip through his fingers but shine like a rock star over the situation just takes my breath away.

Hamlin has nothing to complain about. That is two second place finishes in a row, he has moved up to fifth in the point standings and his chemistry with his crew chief and the entire Fed Ex crew is phenomenal. It's just a matter of time for this hungry veteran team to get that much deserved win. And once the first one comes, more will surely follow.

While my blood is still boiling and I admittedly want to high five a bearded face from the Hendrick team, I have reason to smile. My hero, none other than Denny Hamlin, has settled into his leadership role at JGR quite nicely. He's coming into his own on the race track and he is setting an example, not only for his young team mates, but for this blogger and every Denny Hamlin fan. What a difference a year makes.

Hamlin Frustrated, But Keeps Focus

This is the perfect example of the new "big picture" Denny Hamlin.

Instead of seething in anger over becoming a victim of Jimmie Johnson's late-race bump-and-run and denied his first Sprint Cup Series of the season in Sunday's race at Martinsville Speedway, Hamlin realized there were other concerns.

"We still got a solid finish. Sure, it's disappointing," Hamlin said after the Goody's 500. "We're not going to win the championship this weekend. We're going to win the championship later this season.

"We know we have a great package. This is a Chase race (in the fall), so I'm happy about that. But we have to make sure we're in position first - in the top 12."

There is good and bad to be found in Hamlin's performance the last two weeks.

He's run good enough to win and come up short, but his consecutive second-place finishes have entrenched him in the top 12. He moved up three spots Sunday and sits fifth in points, 148 behind leader Jeff Gordon.

"To come to two straight short tracks and be in contention to win both races, it's uplifting," Hamlin said. "We didn't win, but you can't help that things don't always fall your way."

Hamlin's day could have been much worse.

His Joe Gibbs Racing teammates, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, both experienced tire problems brought on by excessive brake heat. Busch finished 24th and Logano 32nd.

And in previous seasons, Hamlin may have become irate after a move like Johnson's late in the race and not remained as focused.

"Today we could have easily ended up 25th. Denny didn't let that happen," said his crew chief, Mike Ford. "In hindsight, that's experience, and that's experience that Denny's gaining and wisdom along with that."

Ford said Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota didn't have any of the brake heating issues his teammates fought through on Sunday.

"It goes back to last year. They both had the same thing and worked really hard to keep the temperature out of the (tire) bead," he said. "But you saw that a lot today.

"Denny is very easy on brakes. This is not even close to our hardest braking track. We were aware of the problem, but it didn't come into play for us."

Hamlin, FedEx Racing Nosed Out in Martinsville, Finish Second

Denny Hamlin and the #11 FedEx Racing team did everything a defending race champion should do in an effort to defend a crown – leading a race-high 296 laps and putting in a near perfect race on Sunday afternoon at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Hamlin regained the lead on a lap 456 restart, ducking underneath Jimmie Johnson and then holding the point through two field-tightening cautions. With Johnson on his bumper, it came as no surprise to Hamlin when he received a lap-485 nudge from the #48 that sent the #11 FedEx Freight Camry up the slight banking and allowed Johnson to sneak underneath. Despite gathering the car up, the remaining laps didn’t provide Hamlin the opportunity to repay the favor and he brought the #11 FedEx Freight Camry home in second place for the second-consecutive weekend.

For Hamlin, the second-place finish was bittersweet but the Virginia native knew that if the tables had been turned he would have approached his competition in a very similar way.

“I’m honored to be on the race track with guys like Jimmie (Johnson) and Jeff (Gordon) and Tony (Stewart),” said Hamlin. “Those are the guys who are the best in the business. We came up short. That was short-track racing. I would’ve done the same thing to him, and if it comes back around, I will do the same. It’s just the way it is. In Martinsville, you have to battle for every inch, and I was trying to protect a spot, and he was trying to get it at the end of the race. That’s the way it goes.”

Johnson claimed his sixth win at Martinsville while Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer filled out the top five. Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch and Joey Logano finished 24th and 32nd respectively.

Hamlin’s second place finish sees him jump from eighth to fifth in the Sprint Cup standings on the heels of two strong weeks for the short track expert. Jeff Gordon maintains his lead at the top of the chart.

“We’re not going to win the championship this weekend. We’re going to have to win the championship later on in the season. We know we have a great package now. This is a ‘Chase’ race, so I’m happy about that. We have to make sure we’re in position first. We have to make sure we’re in the top-12 and our whole FedEx team is doing all it can to provide me good cars. To come to our first two short tracks and to be in contention to win both races – it’s uplifting. Things don’t always fall our way, and today, they didn’t. I was in a vulnerable spot. I let him get too close, and when he did get close, he took the first opportunity he could to get to us, and I would’ve done the same exact thing.”

Armed with a good car, but stuck four rows deep for the start after Friday’s qualifying session was lost to rain, Hamlin wasted little time charging forward – knowing it was very important to clear as much traffic as possible. Despite starting on the outside and having to wait patiently for his chance to pull down, Hamlin had gained the seventh spot by the time the first caution flew on lap 19. Immediately following the restart he passed David Ruetimann and then Clint Bowyer to claim a spot in the top five before NASCAR called a competition caution on lap 40.

Crew Chief Mike Ford called for four tires, fuel and a slight air pressure adjustment and the #11 crew obliged, getting Hamlin out quickly to restart sixth on lap 46. As the leaders cleared two lapped cars, Hamlin caught Johnson on lap 48 and held the spot behind Gordon and Kurt Busch until the caution flew again on lap 69.Hamlin held the third spot through a caution on lap 70 and then moved past Kurt Busch for second place on lap 99. He then went about cutting into Gordon’s 1.5-second lead, shaving it to one second by lap 129 and then pulling up to the bumper of the #24 Chevrolet by lap 133.

A caution on lap 139 brought the leaders to pit road and Ford again called for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment in hopes of giving Hamlin more grip on exit. Hamlin restarted second on lap 144 and slid inside of the #24 on 156 to take the lead for the first time. As Hamlin held the point, a handful of cars – including his JGR teammates found the outside wall in turn two – but the race stayed green and Hamlin opened up a nearly two-second lead over Gordon with Edwards, Earnhardt Jr. and Stewart rounding out the top five. Hamlin pitted from the lead under caution and the FedEx crew worked quick to send him out in first on lap 263.

The ensuing green-flag run featured some of the best racing of the afternoon as Gordon caught Hamlin on lap 340 and moved past the #11 to claim the lead on lap 343. The two raced side by side for six laps before Hamlin reclaimed the point just before the caution flew on lap 352.

Ford called Hamlin in for tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment and the team again had Hamlin out to lead the field to the green flag on lap 359. Gordon mounted another charge, catching Hamlin on lap 400 but the reigning race winner again held his own and kept the #11 up front until the caution flew on lap 427. On pit road again, a blazing-fast stop by the #48 team proved to be the difference as Johnson was the first car off of pit road with Hamlin in second. Hamlin would hold that spot through another caution, then provide his home-state fans with the move of the race, diving inside of Johnson on the restart to claim the lead on lap 456.

With the opportunity to pull away and win a second grandfather clock seemingly in his grasp, Hamlin was twice stung by cautions that brought Johnson back within striking distance.

Following the last restart on lap 477, Johnson moved the #48 into position and made just enough contact to grab the lead and the win.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series continues next weekend when the teams head back to the big tracks and the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway.

Hamlin's Calm Post-Race Attitude Shows Maturation

Watch Denny Hamlin's post-race interview following his second place finish in the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 ~ Martinsville.
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/nascar/video/cup/2009/03/29/cup.mar.presspass.hamlin.145x93.jpg

When the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 ended Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, there was still plenty of daylight left.

But that didn't mean some post-race fireworks weren't expected. Reporters and television cameramen rushed to the side of Denny Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota as it pulled onto pit road after finishing second -- again -- to race winner Jimmie Johnson, figuring Hamlin had to be hot over how Johnson had moved him out of the way to take the lead for good on Lap 485, just 15 circuits from the finish at the demanding .526-mile short track.

Hamlin climbed from the car, accepted a cold drink and a towel, wiped his face ... and actually smiled. Then he individually thanked each crew member in sight, exchanged a few calm words with crew chief Mike Ford, and turned to face the media.

He was, all in all, surprisingly calm and composed for a man who just led a race-high 296 laps and for the second consecutive week fell just short of being the guy celebrating wildly in Victory Lane.

"I'm honored to be on the race track with guys like Jimmie and Jeff [Gordon] and Tony [Stewart]," Hamlin said. "Those are the guys who are the best in the business.

"We came up short. That was short-track racing. I would've done the same thing to [Johnson] -- and if it comes back around, I will do the same. You can count on that. That's just the way it is. In Martinsville, you have to battle for every inch. I was trying to protect a spot, and he was trying to get it at the end of the race. That's just the way it goes."

“I had to nudge a lot of guys to get around them at points during the race. So it's hard for me to fault [Johnson] for what he did.” DENNY HAMLIN

Consistency rules
Hamlin has -- for better or worse -- become accustomed to running up front but rarely winning races. Last year he finished third a remarkable eight times. His only win came precisely one year ago Sunday in the 2008 spring race at Martinsville, and was the fourth of a Cup career that is only now beginning to emerge from its infancy in his fourth full season.

Hamlin admitted that he hungered for the victory Sunday, especially after coming close again a week earlier while finishing second to teammate Kyle Busch at Bristol. But it was, alas, apparently not meant to be.

Ford, Hamlin's veteran crew chief, said he had no problem with the way Johnson nudged his driver out of the way during his latest trip to Victory Lane [it was Johnson's fifth win in the last six races at Martinsville].

"It's short-track racing. If you look at our car, the nose is beat off it just as bad as the back bumper. What goes around comes around," Ford said. "It came down to that was Jimmie's last shot. It got narrow down there on the bottom of the race track, and it just worked out that way. I'm sure if the roles were reversed, it would be the same story in reverse.

"We did what we had to do. We put a good race car out there, and Denny drove a good race. We had a shot to win, it just didn't pan out."

What Ford does have a problem with is all the questions about his No. 11 team falling just short of getting to Victory Lane. He particularly bristles at comparisons to the No. 18 team at Joe Gibbs Racing, a car driven by Busch that had a tough day Sunday at Martinsville, finishing 24th, but had won two of the previous three Sprint Cup Series races and has piled up 10 Cup wins over the last two seasons.

What will it take, he was asked, for Hamlin to start racking up victories with frequency akin to that of Busch?

"I'm about tired of fielding that question," Ford said. "If you look at it, it seems like people think we've had bad years or something. We haven't. We've made the Chase the last three years. Only a handful of guys can say that. Tony Stewart can't say it; Dale Earnhardt Jr can't say that. There are a lot of guys who can't say they've been as consistent as we've been the last three years.

"Guys win championships without winning races. It can be done. The thing about this team is that we're consistent. There aren't many race tracks that we go to where we aren't competitive. We're a little bit stronger on the short tracks, but the intermediates are coming around.

Everyone's package is a little bit different. A lot of guys can go out and win a bunch of races, but they fall on their faces about as much as they win. We're a little bit more even-keeled. We may not have the race wins under our belt, but the last two weeks I think we've shown that we're even close to doing that."

A new Denny?
Hamlin's calm demeanor after what happened Sunday actually bodes well for the future, in Ford's opinion. It is, it seems, a new and better Denny -- more mature and better able to handle setbacks while keeping his focus solidly in the positive lane and on the future.

"I think if you look back at the last couple of Chases, we start off and we get into a couple of accidents. You look back to last year and a day like [Sunday], and we very easily could have ended up 25th," Ford said. "I think you look at that and you have to say that that's experience that Denny has picked up, and maybe a little wisdom along with it."

So the folks from the No. 11 team chose to look at the silver lining in the gathering gray skies late Sunday afternoon at Martinsville. And there were no post-race fireworks from Hamlin, who certainly has been volatile and vocal in the past when races did not go his way toward the end.

Those who expected him to be furious with Johnson for the contact that was made on Johnson's final pass were left more disappointed than Hamlin was. Well, not quite. But almost.

"It was a great race," Hamlin said of Sunday's event. "I battled with the 24 [Gordon] the same way earlier in the day. I had to nudge a lot of guys to get around them at points during the race. So it's hard for me to fault [Johnson] for what he did.

"With 20 to go, that's part of racing. It really is. It's short-track racing at its best."

The end result, and Hamlin's reaction to it, left one thinking that Hamlin's best is still in front of him. After all, he's only 28 years old, and he seems to be building toward a day when he won't be left behind so often on pit road explaining why he was good, but not quite good enough to get to Victory Lane.

"Everyone's formula is a little bit different," Ford said. "Everybody's strategy is a little bit different. And everyone's results at the end of the day are a little bit different. This is our package. We're working to get better at it. We don't want to get in a situation where we win every once in a while. We want to get to a situation where we're winning consistently."

It could happen. Hamlin is getting closer, not just on the track but in his own head. Once the mind is right, the victories shouldn't be too far behind.