Late heartbreak hits Hamlin again at Indianapolis
In what feels like a broken record for Denny Hamlin in 2021 and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the three-time Daytona 500 winner fell short of victory after leading late.
Hamlin led during the second overtime attempt in Sunday’s Verizon 200 at the Indianapolis road course. Then, Chase Briscoe bumped and spun Hamlin out of the lead in turn nine.
Earlier in the lap, Briscoe was black-flagged for improperly re-entered the track in turn one.
Hamlin finished 23rd and led 27 laps. Briscoe finished 26th, after being parked with one lap to go. Briscoe led 12 laps earlier in the race.
For Hamlin, who has made 16 starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it was another recent close call with victory at the famed track.
In 2020, Hamlin blew a right-front tire while leading with six laps to go.
In 2018, he finished third after being passed for the final lead change with three laps to go.
While Hamlin did not win, he became the first driver to lock into this year’s NASCAR Cup Series playoffs on points. Hamlin is 198 points ahead of Kevin Harvick, who is the next-highest winless driver in the points standings.
The next race for the NASCAR Cup Series is the August 22 FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway (3 p.m. ET; TV: NBCSN, Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Haml
SOURCES:
NASCAR
Racing-Reference.Info
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com