Michigan Hard Hit To Hamlin's Confidence

I am a huge fan of the Olympics. I anticipate the start of the games every time they roll around and I am glued to the TV the entire time they are going on. I have such a passion for the action there and I am mesmerized by the talents the athletes display. To train for so many years for one shining moment, to have everything on the line for one chance at a gold medal is something I admire greatly. It’s all or nothing. Flat out or fall out. Do or die.

That’s what these last 4 races leading up to the Chase have been for Denny Hamlin, do or die. He has struggled a bit as of late and all the years of preparation he has put into his shining moment have lead to one thing. Go or go home. This is no time to start doubting yourself. Your coach, or in this case Crew Chief, has given you everything he can possibly give you to do what you’ve come so far to do. Don’t start getting stars in your eyes, don’t choke and don’t lose faith now. It’s time to show what you’ve got and the whole world is watching.

Going in to Michigan, Denny Hamlin started to show signs of doubt. He began second guessing himself and wondering if it was possible to compete with teammate Kyle Busch and the other boys in the Top 12. He rolled out 4th for qualifying and fell to a disappointing 37th place starting spot. Not easy to overcome. In fact, over half of the previous race winners have started inside the top 5. The odds were stacked against Hamlin and he began to look down, let his mind overtake his heart and question if he really knew what he was doing.

Following the drop of the green flag for the start of the 3M Performance 400 at Michigan on Sunday, Hamlin had pushed those doubts aside and started knocking off cars one at a time. He made tremendous strides towards the front and had a solid run going when it all came crashing down around Hamlin and the Fed Ex Office Crew.

With 6 laps to go, white smoke shot out the back of the car, the engine had blown up and the quest to solidify his place in the standings and capture a Top 10 finish went up in the same ball of fire. When interviewed, Hamlin was visibly disgusted, stressing that the team had made stupid choices. He noted that they had brought a new engine package and then he said it. “The way we’ve been running, we don’t even deserve to be in the Chase”

It took a minute for Hamlin’s words to register. I was stuck to my seat, my jaw on the floor in disbelief. He had thrown in the towel before the bell rang and I was crushed. It was too soon to give up hope. The team has worked too hard to give up now. Never lose faith and never let the competition see you sweat. Too late…the gaping wounds were visible for the world to see and the salt was on it’s way.

It’s time to go back to basics. Stick with what you know and what has been proven to work. No more new engine packages, risky set ups and pit strategies that may or may not work…do what wins and stick with it. Don’t look back, look forward. Learn from your mistakes and do not repeat them. I repeat, don’t make the same mistake twice.

You’re down to the wire. It’s the final 15 meters, you can see the finish line. It’s within your grasp. Just one more time, draw deep from that inner strength I know you have and bring it home. I will never give up on you. I will never doubt you. So give me the same in return. Pick your head up, take a knee, wipe the sweat off your brow and make me proud.

There are just 3 races left in the race to the chase and included in those final tracks is his hometown track, none other than Richmond. He just missed a Sprint Cup win there in the spring and it effected him deeply. It was his deepest desire to win in front of his friends and family so close to his hometown. In a few short weeks he’ll get his chance for redemption. It’s best he get his doubts over with now before he returns to the tough short track.

No one has a better shot at turning his season around than Denny Hamlin. He can use his frustration and disappointment as incentive and momentum to turn his season around and kick his effort into over drive. In the next three races he can establish himself as a contender for a top spot in the Chase finale. Once locked in, he can quietly work his way back towards Kyle Busch and possibly pull of a Joe Gibbs Racing sweep of the top honors.

No Need To Panic...Hamlin Fast In Practice

For those of you who were prepared to hit the panic button, don't jump the gun. While Hamlin struggled to hold on to a decent starting spot after rolling out fourth and falling quickly, he showed a hint of what he had for the top-qualifiers for tomorrow's 3M Performance 400.

While Hamlin will start deep in the field at 37th, he was the fastest in Saturday's first practice and logged the third fastest time in final Happy Hour practice shortly before the Nationwide Series race later in the afternoon.

If practice is any indication of what the FedEx Office crew has under the hood, the 36 cars in front of Hamlin come Sunday afternoon had best be keeping a close eye on their rear view mirror, because Hamlin will make quick work of the field and find his way to the front as expected.

Mike Ford has had harsh criticism as of late for his late race decisions that cost Hamlin good finishes over the past few weeks. Regardless of how on-lookers feel about Ford, Hamlin has placed his entire future in Ford's more than capable hands and trusts him without waivering to carry him through to the Chase for the Sprint Cup that begins in just 4 short weeks.

Keep a close eye on the #11 Toyota of Denny Hamlin. If anyone is capable of coming from behind and soundly establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with in the fierce points battle. Teammate Kyle Busch may have the top spot clinched, but the rest of the 12 man field is anyone's to win or lose. Hamlin is determined to be on the winning end of that challenge and I for one believe he can do it.

Michigan Qualifying Not What Hamlin Expected

Several hours before every qualifying session, a representative for each driver goes to the qualifying draw. There, each driver's representative is given a chance at drawing a numbered ball that decides what position that driver will go out to qualify. The trick is to draw a high number. The higher the number, the better chance you have at starting at the front.

For those drivers outside the Top 35 in Owner's Points, it's a bit of a mute point. It's a well known fact that the drivers that are in the "go or go home" portion of qualifying have a slight advantage over the rest of the field. While they must qualify on time or they miss the race, the fact that they go after the rest of the cars have laid down rubber on the track and have optimal track conditions does work in their favor.

Denny Hamlin needs to fire whoever drew his qualifying spot this week. He went out 4th and quickly fell back in the field. His qualifying time of 183.491 was -1.050 seconds behind Brian Vickers time of 188. 536. Hamlin made it around the 2 mile oval in 39.239 seconds while Vickers clocked a time of 38. 189. With that vast a difference between Hamlin and the pole sitter, he will have to start the 3M Performance 400 from 37th position. He will be flanked by the #15 of Paul Menard and fellow Chaser Kevin Harvick in his #29 Chevrolet. Clint Bowyer, also fighting for a spot in the top 12 will roll off the grid in 41st.

Brian Vickers grabbed his 5th Pole position, his first at Michigan. He will be joined by Jimmie Johnson, Elliott Sadler, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeff Gordon.

While the idea of making his way to the front of the field isn't totally out of the question, the Fed Ex Office crew will certainly have their work cut out for them. Over half of the winners of past races at the 2-mile Oval at Michigan have come from the Top 5, not good statistics for the struggling 11 team.

If anyone can pull off the near impossible, it is Denny Hamlin. Crew Chief Mike Ford has the knowledge to make wise choices and to use pit strategy to his driver's advantage. So don't hit the panic button just yet. Hamlin has come from behind to cement a solid finish before and he is more than capable of doing it again.

Hamlin's goal for Sunday's race, get to the front and stay there. His job in the meantime, find someone else to draw the qualifying spot for next week. Maybe Denny forgot to walk around his chair 3 times before he sat down to breakfast this morning. Sounds like he better monitor that a little closer next week.