Denny Hamlin‘s performance on the Ally 400 was outstanding. And when he scored the winning pole in the qualification race for Grant Park 220, everyone had high expectations from him for the next race. But things changed dramatically for the racer on the Chicago track, where he ended up finishing 11th. 

After the Street race, the number #11 racer talked about how he felt terrified racing on a wet track.

The Toyota driver also revealed a game-changing moment for him. If that moment had not happened, he might have finished in a better position. But how did Hamlin go from attaining the winning pole at the qualification to finishing not even in the top 10 at Chicago?

How Had Denny Hamlin Performed in Grant Park 220 This Weekend?

Denny Hamlin had a great start at the Grant Park 220, as he started from the pole position. Things were great for him, as he was ahead of Tyler Reddick till the 2nd lap of the race. But the third lap is when the game changed for him as he slipped through the corner and hit the barriers.

This made him lose his position, which Reddick took advantage of and went ahead. 

If we look at the incident at the track, Hamlin hit the barriers because of the wet track. Before the race, we got to experience heavy rain on the track, and there was a point when everyone thought that the race was going to be postponed. In fact, even racers felt not ideal to drive on a wet track. 

Hamlin, considering the heavy rain and what it could do to the track, posted a Tweet before the race, “We cannot control god. What we can control is our decisions and reactions to unforeseen circumstances. Please @NASCAR. Do not do this. We have too much positive momentum around this weekend to change the narrative now.” 

Maybe if the race had been postponed, just like many drivers, Hamlin would not have slipped and hit the barriers. And maybe he would have maintained the lead, and who knows, he would have won the race as well. But nothing like that happened, and drivers eventually raced on a wet and slippery track. 

Watch this story: Are Denny Hamlin & His Baby Mama Back Together? What Caused Her Internet Outburst?

After ending up in the 11th position, Denny Hamlin shared his experience and the difficulties he faced driving on the Chicago track. Hamlin talked in detail about the moment he hit the barrier, how it happened, and other inside information about driving at the track. 

Denny Hamlin Shares the Moment Where He Lost the Lead

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Talking about his incident, Denny Hamlin shared how terrified he was before the race because of the heavy rain. As per the RACER, he said, “Honestly, I was terrified of running in the wet, to begin with. I didn’t know what I was doing and just drove in there and went too far and slid right in there.” 

Hamlin further added that he is grateful that the barriers didn’t cause any major damage. “Luckily, it didn’t really cause any damage, it just coughed up my track position … and that was a killer because our car was an absolute rocket.” Hamlin believed that “(The day) wasn’t so bad until everyone got flipped.”

Adding more to the story, he said, “Everyone that didn’t even know the end of the race was coming ended up going to the front. So basically, all the slow cars in the back pitted, and then it worked out because of the change at the end of the race.” Furthermore, it might also be the traffic jam caused by Kevin Harvick that stopped Hamlin from going ahead in the race. 

But even though the day wasn’t good for Denny Hamlin, he appeared happy about the race and excited to have been a part of a history-making race. Expressing his emotions about being a part of NASCAR’s first street race for the cup series, he said, “This is light years better than I expected.”

The #11 drivers went ahead, adding to the previous statement, “The team’s performing; the car has speed. My speed. I hate that we finished 11th, but it’s like, (expletive), this is the best we’ve freakin’ run on a road course ever in my career. So, there’s a lot of positive.” These quotes surely make it seem like Denny Hamlin wasn’t expecting to be a top-10 contender at the race.

Read More: “Hit the Fu*king Lottery”- Denny Hamlin Blasts Off NASCAR’s Strategic Blunder That “Flipped the Whole Field”

Even though Chicago might not have been good for Denny Hamlin, we cannot forget that he has got some really amazing racing skills. The Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart, will take place at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on 9th July. So who knows, maybe the next weekend is Denny Hamlin’s winning day, and we get to see our favorite racer back in form!