With a top-five finish at the recently concluded Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte, Denny Hamlin has surged to the top of the driver's championship. However, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver believes that NASCAR's early decision to end the race was uncalled for.
Starting the race in 11th position, Hamlin made an early pit stop on lap 42 in order to stretch his stint in stage one. However, the #11 driver had to concede several positions during the caution phase, which began on lap 88. Bad timing and equipment interference saw Hamlin end the first stage in 25th position. However, the team rectified the error in stage two, with a near-perfect pit strategy and a steady drive from the Virginia-based racer. Hamlin managed to finish stage two in fourth place.
Stage three started off as usual, but on lap 246, a weather advisory caused the riders to group together. On lap 248, a red flag was waved and there was a heavy downpour immediately after the caution. At 11:30 PM EST, NASCAR officials canceled the race due to bad weather, announcing Christopher Bell as the winner. Finishing in fifth position and gaining 45 crucial points, Hamlin captured the lead in the Cup Series championship, jumping ahead of Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson by 5 and 6 points, respectively.
However, Hamlin has openly criticized NASCAR's decision to call off the race. The three-time Daytona 500 winner believes that, after a while, the track was ready for the race to resume. On his podcast, ‘Actions Detrimental,’ Hamlin said:
"In my mind, from what I saw, by 12 o'clock we would be racing. At 12:15, the track was dry. The drivers were getting ready. All of a sudden, they shut down the Titans or the Jet Dryers and was like, uh-oh, are they about to call this thing?"
Here's the post shared by Hamlin on his Instagram page:
However, his assessment contrasted with NASCAR's official statement.
How are results determined when weather intervenes?
Unlike several other motorsports where racing continues in rainy conditions, NASCAR halts racing until the downpour stops and the track dries down.
While most sports, such as Formula 1 or even the World Endurance Championship, follow a start-to-finish racing style, NASCAR races are divided into three stages (the Coca-Cola 600 has four 100-lap stages). The first two stages make up the first and second quarters of the entire race, while the third stage (longest) comprises the third and fourth quarters.
It was not only to boost excitement that NASCAR introduced stages, but also to improve safety. The ability of officials to cancel a race at any point during stage three due to inclement weather and announce the winner based on the results of the first two stages ensures a fair competition for all drivers.