(By Sarah Farlee Managing Editor, CupScene.com)
Posted: Sunday,March 27th, 2011
Fontana, Calif., - Denny Hamlin has not exactly shot out of the box in 2011 and after consecutive finishes of 33rd and 39th there is not much to cheer about.
“We got work to do, and that’s the bottom line,” said Hamlin, who was in the garage and out of the race just after the halfway point in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway.
Hamlin said the issues were likely due to something breaking in the valve train and said the issues were likely similar to those had by teammate Joey Logano earlier in the weekend. Logano changed an engine prior to the race. Hamlin did not.
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Toyota, leads Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #56 NAPA Toyota, and Brian Vickers, driver of the #83 Red Bull Toyota, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 27, 2011 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
“I can’t really pin point whether it’s one problem,” said Hamlin. “If we knew exactly what it was, hopefully we’d get it fixed.”
Hamlin said the engine began to sound flat, and that the speed had dropped off.
“We lost some power early on in the day when we started dropping positions,” Hamlin said. “We didn’t know exactly what it was.
“Obviously, it was another engine failure and what not,” added Hamlin. “It’s frustrating from my stand point.”
Hamlin says at this point the engine failures are something to worry about.
“I’m worried a little bit more,” said Hamlin. “It’s frustrating because you want to do the best you can each week and Mike (Ford, crew chief) and the team did a great job setting up the car and we had a fast car.
“It doesn’t matter in the end if you can’t finish the way you’re supposed to,” Hamlin added.
Without the finishes points will be difficult for Hamlin to make up – especially with the new points structure for 2011. But Hamlin knows to get points solid runs are a must.
“We definitely need to get some solid finishes,” said Hamlin. “We need to prove at this point we can finish a race.”
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