After a sudden rain shower caught out multiple cars at at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the race descended into chaos as soon as it started. Joe Gibbs Racing trio Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr, and Denny Hamlin were among those affected by the race.
On lap 6, Busch and Truex Jr were running 1-2 when they lost control and spun into the wall. Naturally, both cars sustained considerable damage, while Hamlin managed to get away without crashing. That incident was enough to force a red flag as the rain got heavier.
“We started the race under a mist – we never should’ve went green to begin with,” Busch fumed. “But then it kept getting worse and worse, lap by lap. The lap before (the crash), I went into (turn 1) and it shoved the nose really bad and I was able to keep it under control. It wasn’t wet enough.”
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Kyle Busch and his teammates were furious
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According to Truex Jr, the track was so soggy that he could not get his car to slow down. On the bright side, the damage to his car was not as bad as Busch’s and he was able to continue the race. Hamlin, on the other hand, admitted that drivers need to rely on NASCAR’s corner spotters to tell them when the surface is unsafe.
From the tower, they can see the rain, but the officials don’t know how damp the surface is. As a result, they need the corner official to report on the track surface. Unfortunately, what’s done is done, and nothing can change the result, much to Joe Gibbs Racing’s dismay.
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Owing to this, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr will be left rueing what could have been. Had there not been the unexpected rain shower, who knows whether they could have been in a position to win.
READ MORE: Kyle Busch Bags Pole Position for NASCAR Cup Series Race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway