Nine years later, Hamlin still regrets the road course win that got away

Perhaps it’s because of the win that got away.  

The year was 2007, Hamlin’s sophomore season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was Watkins Glen. Hamlin settled for second, which, a decade later, is still his best finish at a road course 

“I should have moved my then teammate, Tony,” Hamlin said of Tony Stewart, who at the time was the senior driver at Joe Gibbs Racing. “I didn’t because he was bigger than me.”

Stewart won his fourth of five Glen races that day. Hamlin, however, has never scored another top-five finish at that track. At Sonoma Raceway, where the Sprint Cup tour will compete this weekend, Hamlin’s best finish is fifth (2009). He has two top 10s in 10 starts at the 1.99-mile circuit. 

When asked about his last top-five finish at Sonoma, Hamlin at first couldn’t remember the year but said it seems like “an eternity ago.”

“It hasn’t been a great race track for us, even though I like the race track,” Hamlin added. “I’ve actually been pretty competitive here and just got wrecked into Turn 11 — a lot. It’s frustrating because you come all the way out here to lose.”

Road course rehab

Yes, Hamlin, 35, understands that the best in motorsports are proficient on every type of race track. But until NASCAR puts a road course into the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Hamlin is not going to worry about upping his game at Sonoma or the Glen.  

The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota acknowledged after winning the 2016 Daytona 500, his team has had the luxury of fine-tuning his cars for the playoffs. 

If the Toyotas seem a little bit off lately, it’s because all four Gibbs drivers are in the Chase and experimenting with different packages for the final 10 races. Hamlin doesn’t feel there’s any cause for concern. He believes the Toyotas will be in the thick of the title hunt come November. 

As for Hamlin, who is currently 13th in the standings, he believes the No. 11 team will be ready as well.

“There’s not been many Chases that I’ve been a part of that I’ve not been a contender in,” Hamlin said. “I just know what it takes to run well that time of year. I’m not really worried about it…I know we’ll be good when we need to.” 

Taking risks

The new Chase format has also allowed Hamlin to take chances he would not have dreamed of in the past.

“The regular season is about going for it,” Hamlin said. “Within the system, if you win a race, you  can really start working on things and try things until September starts and that’s what we’ve done.

“We feel like we’re in a pretty good spot and I’m racing like it. It’s really an all or nothing type thing. Kansas is an example where I shot the middle three-wide trying to win the race and ended up wrecking. Years and years ago I would have cared, but this year I really don’t care. 

"You’re just all waiting until September. You know that everything is going to reset and you have to bring your A-game in September. Right now, it’s just formalities.”

For Hamlin, not worrying about the points is fun. With a win to his credit, Hamlin can come to Sonoma and enjoy himself, not worrying about the consequences. 

“Maybe run somebody else over,” Hamlin said with a laugh.