Denny Hamlin’s crew chief discloses which lap they lost out the All-Star race victory at North Wilkesboro

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was one of the drivers whose outing at last weekend's All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro did not stem as good results as the team and driver had hoped for. Finishing the 200-lap-long event on the resurrected 0.625-mile-long racetrack in North Carolina in P13, Hamlin fell back out of the top 10 after a strong start to the 125-mile-long event.

All four Toyotas from the Joe Gibbs Racing camp were seen with significant pace during the event, to varying degrees. Crew chief for Denny Hamlin and the #11 crew, Chris Gabehart elaborated on what he thought was the turning point for the team in winning or losing the race and elaborated in post-race interview:

"You can't pit under green (flag), there was no evidence that that was going to do anything. Where we messed up was not pitting on lap 18. I knew better. 100% should've pit under that caution and didn't. That puts you on defence rather than offence and at these kinds of racetracks and these kinds of scenarios you don't want to be on defence."

Gabehart pinpointed his and the team's decision to not pit the #11 Toyota Camry TRD under the caution that flew for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on lap 18. In what was an otherwise race with decent long runs and few cautions, some touted the event as a bit of a snooze-fest.

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Denny Hamlin speaks of North Wilkesboro Speedway's relevance in modern-day NASCAR

After what was touted as a snooze-fest or a monotonous All-Star Race at the resurgent North Wilkesboro Speedway last Sunday, many have come to question the relevance of old-school tracks such as the 0.625-mile-long short track in modern NASCAR.

With many outspoken drivers cum team owners in the sport currently active, Denny Hamlin was his usual self as he elaborated on his thoughts about North Wilkesboro Speedway. He said:

"There's places on the schedule for tracks like this, Martinsville, small market places that kind of are the sweetheart tracks, so certainly think that there's a place on here."

With a lot being said about the potential repavement of the track, North Wilkesboro Speedway might eventually be repaved with new-smooth asphalt if the NASCAR Cup Series intends on coming back to the venue. Denny Hamlin's idea of a super-smooth top groove with an aggregate lower half could even be the way to go.