It appears that Denny Hamlin might be experiencing a string of bad luck. The No. 11 Toyota driver had a rough outing at Atlanta Motor Speedway in February, which he attributed to a curse. His second appearance at the reconfigured 1.54-mile track seemed to confirm his suspicions. Although Hamlin had a well-thought-out strategy for the playoff opener, things went awry towards the end of the race, resulting in a late-race incident.
Hamlin showed his frustration during the post-race interview but still expressed optimism for the upcoming races on non-superspeedway tracks.
Hamlin’s planned strategy didn’t pan out as hoped. Known for his strategic drafting in the past, he struggled after the Quaker State 400 began. Despite starting in 38th place and briefly making it into the top ten, he didn’t see a positive outcome.
In his post-race remarks, Hamlin explained his strategy’s failure. He anticipated more incidents and hoped for a bigger wreck to help him gain points. However, he focused on earning 20 points for a solid finish rather than concerning himself with competitors’ actions. Hamlin’s attempt to advance through the round was hindered by a last-lap crash involving Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, Harrison Burton, and himself. Hamlin admitted he didn’t see the crash coming and was caught off guard. He noted the track’s narrowness made it difficult to advance positions.
This unfortunate trend followed Hamlin from the February race and even affected the latest winner.
Hamlin’s misfortunes were even more pronounced at the Ambetter Health 400, where he encountered three separate wrecks. He managed to avoid the first wreck involving Kyle Busch but was caught in the second when Joey Logano’s block led to a collision with Chris Buescher and Hamlin. The final crash, involving Chase Briscoe, resulted in significant damage to Hamlin’s car.
Reflecting on his repeated bad luck, Hamlin joked about his “cursed” status and recounted how a late block from Logano led to another wreck. Despite these setbacks, Hamlin remains hopeful about future races, noting his past victories at Watkins Glen and Bristol. He’s optimistic about his performance in the coming weeks and hopes for better outcomes.
