Denny Hamlin misses the mark with gamble at Phoenix

AVONDALE, Ariz. — With 54 laps to go Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway, Denny Hamlin’s team made up its mind. It was going for the win.

While every other car came down pit road, Hamlin stayed out with old tires and took the lead at Lap 258. Hamlin knew what was at stake. He needed to finish better than most of his fellow Chase for the Sprint Cup drivers — save for Jimmie Johnson  and Carl Edwards, who had already clinched berths — to move on to the championship race Nov. 20 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Hamlin’s team chose to take a risk with tire and fuel concerns in favor of position. It was a risk that didn’t work out Hamlin’s way.

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“I knew when I saw we were the only ones to stay, I knew we had an uphill climb,” Hamlin said. “I still thought we were OK though. We singled out second behind the 20 (Matt Kenseth), and honestly our lap times really cleaned up nicely after 10 laps.”

Hamlin lost his lead on lap 262, but his No. 11 Toyota created enough space to remain in contention for the coveted title spot. But for that risk to pay off, everything had to go Hamlin’s way in terms of luck.

It didn’t. And now, he’s out of the Chase.

A caution on Lap 267 for debris on the track forced a second restart on the wearing tires, and that was it for Hamlin’s test of fate.

“When we had the second caution, and that put me at the bottom on the restart,” Hamlin said. “It just kind of shuffled from there.”

It was a finish that saw race leader Kenseth, Hamlin's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, wreck in overtime, and Joey Logano take the checkered flag. Hamlin salvaged the restart to finish seventh — a solid result, but it a sour ending for a race that seemingly turned his way with 54 laps to go.

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“I knew it was close,” Hamlin said. “You have to be great in every round. You gotta perform well, and I think our average finish was pretty good in this round, but just everyone stepped up their game and performed well.”

When it comes to next Sunday in Homestead, Hamlin will be racing in support of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Edwards and Kyle Busch, who claimed the final berth in the title race on points.

“I think obviously me and (Kenseth) will do everything we can with advice and strategy and all that for our teammates … We’ve got a 50-50 chance, so we’ll see what happens.”