Denny Hamlin dropped to 18th after a costly pit stop and contact with Michael McDowell in the first race of the Chase at Darlington.
Race dynamics
The No. 11 took the green flag from the front but an inefficient pit stop ruined early momentum. With his car still sharpening, Hamlin brushed McDowell mid‑stage, leaving damage that slowed him through the final turns. Despite the setback, the driver earned stage‑point medals in the first two stages, keeping his season lead marginally intact.
Chase standings impact
Hamlin remains the points leader heading into the next race, but the 18th‑place finish has pushed rivals closer. The incident highlighted the fine line between competitive racing and risk‑laden decisions at a track known as “the track too tough to tame.”
“The wreck in stage three ruined our build‑up,” Hamlin said after the race. “We gained time early on and had it for both short‑ and long‑runs, but we never capitalised.”
He acknowledged the pit error as the main culprit for the fall from third towards the top of the order and looked forward to executing a stronger weekend on the next speedway’s asphalt.
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