Denny Hamlin thought he would win Richmond after seeing Joey Logano, Austin Dillon wreck

Denny Hamlin thought Austin Dillon wrecking Joey Logano was about to lead to an unlikely victory for his No. 11 team, before the No. 3 hooked him into the wall.

We now know that Dillon’s playoff eligibility has been revoked by NASCAR, but his victory at Richmond will remain official in the record books. On the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin took some time to explain what went through his mind coming to the checkered flag last Sunday.

“Certainly didn’t think it would go like it did for the final 200 yards. …  I thought it was too much of a gap to make a legitimate racing move (between the No. 22 and No. 3). But when I saw the No. 3 not decelerate, you know, I mean just, he just kept going, he obviously was not going to make the corner in a reasonable fashion. I thought — my eyes got really big, because I knew that he carried so much speed in, regardless of whether he made contact with the No. 22 or not, he was going to have such a bad run off, I had a legit shot to get around him,” Hamlin explained, regarding the finish. “So, my eyes got big, and then when I saw that he was going to get to the No. 22, which was, I mean, we’re talking split seconds here. This is really, really quick.

“I started to see the No. 22 turn sideways. I’m like, ‘S—, This is it finally. I’m gonna get one. Like, the other way. You know, I’m gonna get one that I probably didn’t deserve.’ But, yeah, I the track clears, and I come off the corner, just the same as I always have, Because I think the No. 3 is up in the smoke up there. Next thing you know, I mean, my car turns dead right into the fence, and just crushes. Crushes me, crushes the car. And I see these, you know, I see the checkered, and we’re not the first to get there.

“So, it was a crazy set of events. Like, your emotions pique, you know. It’s like, ‘Ah, we’re not going to win. Oh, my God, we are. No, we’re not.’ Like, that quick, right? And so, that’s what was crazy, from my standpoint, and you know, kind of the emotions I had over a three second span.”

While Denny Hamlin didn’t get the win, he did come home the runner-up, and he was able to celebrate when NASCAR decided to remove Austin Dillon from the playoffs for his actions. In the end, not a bad tradeoff for being wrecked on the final lap.

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