Hamlin Cruises to Season Best for Ergon Racing
OVERVIEW
posted on October 25, 2008
(HAMPTON, Ga.) October 25, 2008 – Despite starting 20th in the E-Z-Go 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Denny Hamlin piloted the Ergon Racing Tundra to a third-place finish. The effort marked the No. 15 team’s second top-five of 2008 and eclipsed John Andretti’s fourth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as their best finish of the season.
Heavy rain showers on Friday afternoon forced NASCAR to cancel qualifying prior to the race. As a result, the field was set according to owners points which put Hamlin on the outside of row 10 for the start of the event. Although this was Hamlin’s first-ever Truck Series race at a superspeedway, the Virginia native had no problem acclimating the track. Hamlin worked his way into the top-five in 25 quick laps.
The Ergon Racing Tundra was up to 4th-place when the caution flag waved on lap 57. The crew serviced the No. 15 Toyota with four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment to loosen up the truck. Hamlin returned to the track in seventh-place for the restart.
The race went green on lap 62. Hamlin reclaimed two positions by the next caution period, lap 88, to rejoin the top-five. Crew chief Doug George called Hamlin into the pits for the team’s final stop of the day. The No. 15 team changed all four tires, topped off the fuel cell and made a wedge adjustment to loosen up the truck. Hamlin returned to the track in seventh-place.
Green flag racing resumed on lap 95. Hamlin made the most of the remaining 35 laps and picked off the four trucks ahead of him to finish in the third position.
“Driving the Ergon Racing Tundra today was awesome,” said Hamlin. “The trucks always looked like so much fun to race here (Atlanta Motor Speedway), so I was thrilled when Billy Ballew let me get in his truck. It definitely wasn’t a letdown. The truck drivers race hard and know how to put on a great show.
“We were a little bit too tight today to battle for the lead, but we had a great truck. It seemed like the track kept tightening up and we never quite caught up to it. Every time we made an adjustment, it helped but it wasn’t quite enough. It was a great day, though, and everyone on the Ergon Racing team did a great job.”
