### Denny Hamlin’s Talladega Mishap: Puddle Thwarts Toyota Strategy
Denny Hamlin’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway took an unfortunate turn when he encountered a puddle on pit road, causing his car to spin. Hamlin was part of a seven-car pack that entered pit road together, and he lost control while slowing down, making slight contact with John Hunter Nemechek.
Hamlin attributed the spin to a puddle that formed on the track surface. He explained that despite NASCAR’s efforts to dry the track after heavy rain, water can seep underneath the pavement through cracks. When cars drive over these areas, the water is forced out like a squeegee through the cracks.
Hamlin narrowly avoided hitting the inside wall and instead spun out into the grass, colliding with other cars to prevent a more severe impact. Hamlin’s car rebounded from the spin initially, but a subsequent on-track incident ended his day on Lap 157.
The incident disrupted Toyota’s strategy of running full throttle while their rivals conserved fuel. Hamlin believed the plan would have been successful had the group not been caught up in the Turn 3 crash. The wreck also benefited Tyler Reddick, who avoided the incident and went on to win the race after race-leader Michael McDowell crashed on the front straightaway.
