Stray puppy that brought Hamlin bad luck stays after driver advances in NASCAR playoffs

Before Lulu returned to North Carolina for a life of luxury with a three-time Daytona 500 winner, Hamlin had three wins, an average finish of 12th and had finished every race.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The dog can stay — at least for another round of NASCAR’s playoffs.

The future of little Lulu, the stray puppy Denny Hamlin’s daughters found under the Gateway Arch in St. Louis in June, has been in doubt ever since Hamlin decided the addition to his household had derailed his season.

Hamlin even had stats to back up his claims.

Before Lulu returned to North Carolina for a life of luxury with a three-time Daytona 500 winner and his two little girls, Hamlin had three wins, an average finish of 12th and had finished every race.

He was also ranked first in the Cup Series standings.

The very next week, Hamlin’s engine blew for his first DNF of the season. He crashed at Indianapolis, crashed again at Daytona, was dealt a severe penalty by NASCAR for something Toyota did to his engine that took him out of contention for regular-season champion, and started the playoffs ranked seventh in the standings.

Then the first two races of the opening round were disastrous and Hamlin went to Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night in danger of being eliminated from the 16-driver playoff field. That’s when he (jokingly) began looking to rehome Lulu, much to his daughters’ dismay.

But when his fourth-place finish at Bristol — he figured he’d have to win the race to avoid elimination — advanced him into the second round of the playoffs, Lulu received a reprieve. It was the first thing 11-year-old Taylor asked on pit road as she stood in front of her father’s car.