It is conventional wisdom in NASCAR that drivers must keep their performance levels constant. This gives them an edge, which the media terms “momentum,” when going to races. But Chris Gabehart, Denny Hamlin’s crew chief, has battered down this concept, citing the current playoff format and Joey Logano’s recent success in Las Vegas.
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He was on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio when he shined a torch on how Logano’s unlikely progress to the Championship 4 has showcased the inefficacy of talking about momentum any longer.
The No. 22 Team Penske driver had a highly inconsistent playoff run and made it to the Round of 8 by the sheer luck of Alex Bowman’s disqualification. Clearly, momentum didn’t help him win at Vegas.
Gabehart said, “Momentum is not a thing. Especially not with this format. Especially not with this year’s rounds of races and where they laid out. The No. 22 team is all the proof that anyone would need.”
“What is the thing is great teams with great experience levels, they understand the pressure of the moments and know how to capitalize when the wind blows in their direction, so to speak.”
.@JoeGibbsRacing Crew Chief Chris Gabehart (@CG1751) says “momentum is not a thing” in the #NASCARPlayoffs as evident by @joeylogano‘s win at @LVMotorSpeedway.
️ “The No. 22 is all the proof of that anyone would need.”
Do you agree with him?
More → https://t.co/MKhd9eLXG8 pic.twitter.com/c3EEvvo2ER
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) October 24, 2024
Two more races remain in this round and seven drivers will be battling over them for the three remaining Championship 4 spots. The first of them will be at the Homestead-Miami Speedway this Sunday.
It is a track where Gabehart’s driver, Hamlin, has a good record. He will hope for a clean, straightforward race that would help him close the 27-point deficit that he has with the elimination line.
Denny Hamlin’s approach to the final races of the round
The goal for the No. 11 driver is to go to Homestead-Miami and Martinsville, run in the top three, win stages, and have a good points haul. He said in a recent interview that he understood the difficulty of this task but will work towards it nonetheless.
He added, “Homestead is pretty straightforward from a strategy perspective. You’re going to take four tires anytime you pit, so that will allow guys that are upfront to stay up front. We need to be in that group and hope for a little luck from someone having a bad day or whatnot to make up that gap.”
Martinsville will not follow suit. It has always been a track where mixed strategies are required and the new short-track tires will make things more unpredictable. Any driver will need a tad bit of luck, or dare I say, momentum, to win there.
