P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Hamlin mulls a dominant night gone wrong at Darlington
The dominant car in Sunday night’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway was driven by Denny Hamlin. However, his race took a turn when he became concerned about a loose left-rear wheel. Despite a smooth pit stop, Hamlin felt the wheel was still tightening, which prompted him to return to pit road. Although there were no visible signs of looseness, crew chief Chris Gabehart explained that the left rear is sensitive to this issue due to the load it experiences. After reviewing video footage of the stop, there was doubt that the wheel was tight. Gabehart is unsure of the outcome had Hamlin stayed on track, as this situation hasn’t occurred with the Next Gen car. Nonetheless, he trusts Hamlin’s instinct and believes it was the right decision to pit. Losing races in this manner is frustrating for the team and Hamlin, especially when they clearly had a winning car.
Source: Racer.com
