“I stopped chasing”: Denny Hamlin comes clean on what provoked him to steer clear of risk against William Byron

Denny Hamlin has opened up on why he backed off from challenging William Byron in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The veteran driver explained that a fuel mishap forced him to take a conservative approach, knowing that a potential wreck was not worth the gamble while running low.

Hamlin, who started 20th, charged throught the field to lead 53 laps during Sunday's crown jewel event, while Byron controlled a majority of the 400-lap race. On lap 348, the two drivers exited pit road side-by-side, setting up what looked like an intense battle to the checkered flag.

However, Hamlin's fortunes changed when he was radioed in about a fuel shortage that left him 12 laps short of the finish line. Consequently, the No.11 driver abandoned his fight for the lead and was forced to refuel on lap 389, which ultimately dropped him to 16th in the pecking order, just two spots ahead of the lapped cars.

Speaking to the media post-race, Hamlin reflected on the day's turn of events, stating (via Frontstretch),

"We were really fast obviously. Us and the 24(Byron) were the class of the field for most of the day, and then the 1 (Chastain) came on really strong there at the end. Would have loved to see that battle through, but obviously, once they told me that I was short on fuel, at that point, I kind of stopped chasing the 24 just because I’m not going to risk trying to get in the fence when I’m too short on fuel anyway."

Denny Hamlin entered Charlotte on the back of two straight DNFs at Kansas and Texas. Notably, mechanical failures played spoil sport in both events, a worrying trend that has plagued Hamlin's race results. Moreover, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has dropped four spots in the Driver's standings since his last top-5 result at Bristol Motor Speedway. He currently ranks sixth with 390 points, while Byron tops the standings with 499 points.

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"That’s been the story of the last month": Denny Hamlin laments poor stretch of finishes

Denny Hamlin shared that he feels 'crappy' about how his recent races have ended. The 44-year-old has been battling mechanical gremlins that've left him unable to contend in an otherwise fast car. Reflecting upon his result at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Hamlin drew attention to a month-long stretch of missed opportunites.

"I feel good about our performance. I feel crappy about how we finished. That’s been the story of the last month, and not much has changed,” he said via NASCAR.

Despite the setbacks, Denny Hamlin's pace was evident in the stats provided by NASCAR insights, ranking second in the speed rating during Sunday's race. His No.11 team also scored the best pit crew rating for the night.