NASCAR Through the Gears: Denny Hamlin dries off. Court date looms. Chase Elliott morphs

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5 days ago

Talk about mixed emotions at Dover.
The week turned out quite well for Denny Hamlin the racecar driver.
Denny Hamlin the plaintiff? Not so much, though he suggested things won't get fully up to speed for several more months.
We'll get to that and honestly try to make sense of it all, but let's assume everyone is OK if we start by talking about auto racing.
Good? Good.
Hamlin and his No. 11 Toyota have been pretty darn good all year and that shouldn't be a shocker, since that particular man-and-machine combo has been really good for just about this entire century.
But to win Sunday, Hamlin chose Nomex over vulcanized rubber. You heard me right, but settle down, I promise we're still talking about racing.
Along the way, Hamlin had to beat back two on-rushing teammates in the closing laps. First, Christopher Bell took himself out with as pretty a pirouette as you'll ever see — he never touched a thing, but some of those in avoidance mode sure did.
And then Chase Briscoe, who nosed to the lead on the final overtime restart but couldn't stick the landing. Turns out, he was on newer rubber but older Nomex.
Grab that shifter and let's get up to speed.
First Gear: Who needs fresh Goodyears when you have dry duds?
It's doubtful you came here for an old Deion Sanders quote, but here you go.
'If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they pay good.'
During one of two late rain delays, Hamlin told the TNT broadcast audience he was going to change into a fresh Nomex-woven uniform because his was soaked with that nasty brew of sweat and rain and Lord knows what else gets kicked up and tossed through that window net.
Yes, he was on worn tires, but he suggested fresh duds might make him feel fresher than he really was. He won, you know, so who's to doubt him?
What's doubtful, however, is anytime in the near future, we'll hear a crew chief call his driver to the pits for right-side tires and a dry uniform. But there was also a time when sub-20-second pit stops seemed like science fiction.
Second Gear: Denny Hamlin sends us an invitation (to court)
Barring a serious change in strategy, not to mention tone, Hamlin's next big uniform change will see him shed the Nomex for wool or cotton, as he slips into a fancy bib-and-tucker for a December court date that continues to loom large up there around Turn 4.
Up-to-speed time: Hamlin is co-owner of 23XI Racing, which along with Front Row Motorsports is suing NASCAR, alleging antitrust violations. Both teams have three cars, and all six are among the 36 'chartered' cars, meaning they're locked into each week's race while four additional spots are available to non-charted (or 'open') teams.
Since the two plaintiff teams didn't agree to new charter terms late last year (13 other teams, which field 30 cars, did sign), NASCAR has said they forfeited their charters. A judge said that's not right, then another judge said yes it is, and another had to say the second judge was right and then … oh, never mind, who can keep up?
Anyway, the two teams aren't currently chartered but won't miss any races, even if more than four 'open' cars enter an upcoming race (which is usually unlikely, given recent history). In fact, NASCAR did what it does throughout the season — update the rulebook.
Usually it's about an evolving technical issue, but the day after Dover, NASCAR amended the rules in a way that basically guarantees 23XI and Front Row will have reserved seats for the rest of the season.
And 29 days after the season finale, and just nine days after the awards banquet, the two teams and NASCAR (and their legal stormtroopers) are scheduled to be in court to start the official proceedings.
Hamlin was asked about the ongoing friction during the Dover weekend and didn't break character.
'All I can tell you,' he began, 'and this will be my blanket answer for all questions about this … if you want answers, you want to understand all of why this is happening, come Dec. 1. You will get the answers that you are looking for and all will be exposed.
'Mark your calendar.'
That's gonna be one awkward banquet if he finally wins a championship.
Third Gear: Ty times Two as NASCAR brackets reach final rung
Whose brackets had Ty Gibbs versus Ty Dillon in the final?
Such a possibility was inherent when NASCAR debuted this five-week, in-season tournament to coincide with TNT's five weeks of coverage. At least Gibbs finished fifth at Dover to win his semifinal over Tyler Reddick, who slipped out of the top 10 in the late laps.
Dillon finished 20th, one better than semifinal foe John Hunter Nemechek, and needed the day's final 'lucky dog' free pass to do it.
Listen, don't be too cynical. At least they tried something, bless their hearts. And hey, there's a million bucks on the line for the Dillon and Gibbs teams. Assuming there's something close to the old industry standard — team and driver splitting race winnings — that'd be a helluva payday for Dillon.
And not a bad one for team owner Matt Kaulig, who'd have to sell a lot of gutter guards to make 500k. Do your own research on that one.
Fourth Gear: Chase Elliott makes his point(s)
We should've smelled a rat when William Byron won the Daytona 500 but left town second in the standings, one point behind Ryan Blaney, who piled up race-day points with stage finishes of first and third.
Two weeks later, Byron took over the points lead and held onto it after 17 of the next 18 races, despite not winning another race and despite a recent slump bordering on two months. He's finished 27th or worse in five of the last seven races, and in those other two, he was a ho-hum (for him) eighth and ninth.
So your new leader atop the regular-season standings is Chase Elliott, who has morphed into Terry Labonte and become a points hoarder for most of this season.
— Email Ken Willis at [e-mail]
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Denny Hamlin wins Dover, NASCAR amends, and it might get real awkward