Motorsports FanHouse

FanHouse Warmup: Checker 500

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:23:00 EST

Filed under: Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Chase for the Sprint Cup

The Essentials

Race: Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500

Where: Phoenix Int'l Raceway
Time: Sunday 3:15 PM ET
TV/Radio: ABC, MRN Radio
Twitter: Updates @ FanHouseRacing
Forecast: Mostly sunny, High 60s
Distance: 312 laps (312 miles)
Pole Winner: Martin Truex Jr.
2008 Winner: Jimmie Johnson

The Storylines

What makes any NASCAR finish exciting, and any sporting event for that matter, is when the unexpected happens. A last-second shot, a last-second touchdown, an underdog felling a Goliath and even a last lap pass -- yes, even Jimmie Johnson smacking the wall last week at Texas -- all create the unanticipated result that feeds into creating the rush of a sporting event.

Unfortunately, the most recent data we have from Phoenix International Raceway doesn't leave a lot of hope that we'll be seeing the unforeseen Sunday afternoon at the 1-miler.

Not to be a downer, but the three most eligible drivers to make history in 2009 with a a Sprint Cup title are the Hendrick Motorsports trio of Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon. Coincidentally, they are also the three drivers who have scored the most recent wins at PIR.

Gordon got the ball rolling with a win in 2007 until Johnson won three straight in '07 and 2008. Mark Martin capped the Hendrick ownership of Phoenix earlier this year when his No. 5 drove to victory in the April event.

So unless one of them, say, gets a nudge from Sam Hornish Jr. on or around lap 3 on Sunday, it seems like we'll be seeing more of the same: a Hendrick car out front.

So. Exciting.

Carl Edwards won Saturday's Nationwide Series race at PIR and in the process left Kyle Busch to wait until he makes the start at Homestead next week to clinch the series title.

That, though, wasn't the most exciting feature of the race -- and not the one that might carry over to Sunday's Cup action.

Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski, as we know, aren't exactly best friends after a string of on-track incidents. After Saturday's race, it didn't get any better.

Needless details aside, Hamlin bumped Keselowski for position during the race and Keselowski, in turn, spun Hamlin.

Denny wasn't so happy about it and promised to take the matters into his own hands after the incident. They even had a heated argument outside of the Nationwide Series hauler.

What does that mean? Well, I can't say we know when Keselowski will get the payback, but both he and Denny will be Sunday's race.

FanHouse Warmup: Checker 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Tums 500

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:21:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup

Notes, quotes & commentary after 501 laps around a Virginian paperclip.

I get what NASCAR is trying do, I really do.

They want these races to be dramatic, to make good television and perhaps provide a sense of danger to fans like ESPN's Ed Hinton believes they crave. It's no different than any other sport, movie or story -- dramatic moments bring eyeballs.

But at some point, NASCAR needs to get a whole lot better at not allowing a stalled race car to sit in peril at the start/finish line in the name of a dramatic finish.

That's what happened Sunday when John Andretti spun and couldn't get his No. 34 re-fired along the frontstretch at Martinsville Speedway on the final lap. It's also what happened just over a month ago with A.J. Allmendinger at New Hampshire.

Neither incident resulted in the hapless drivers being hit by the oncoming race cars, but the law of averages doesn't seem to bode well for their safety if these incidents turn into a regular thing. It's just easy to see how a driver back in the pack may misjudge a move, not hear a spotter or get turned while slowing down into the stopped race car.

NASCAR's right to allow a finish to play out as much as possible, but I just think they are taking "as much as possible" a little too far.

Jeff Gordon's crew chief Steve Letarte tried an 'experiment' early in Sunday's race that I'm still undecided about.

Gordon came to the pits on lap 46 under caution while leading and took on just two tires. He emerged from pit road still leading, but soon fell back in the leaderboard after the advantage of four fresh tires was immediately apparent and didn't start to make ground again until a lap 90 caution brought the field back to pit road.

Letarte, we can assume, was looking to find out if a two-tire pit stop would be a good tool to use later in the race for track position if necessary and found that its benefits would last all of about two laps if cars directly behind had four fresh Goodyears. After the call, Gordon led just eight more laps on the day and never led again except for a lap under green flag pit stops.

Should Letarte have made the move? In hindsight -- which we know is always 20/20 -- it's easy to say no because Gordon never really competed for the lead again.

But on the same note, the information turned out to be extremely valuable in determining if a two-tire pit stop could be a valuable asset for track position. It wasn't.

Live and learn, I suppose.

Surprisingly, Kyle Busch's fourth-place finish on Sunday was his best appearance at Martinsville since 2007.

Since that point, Busch has had three finishes at the short track of 24th or worse -- an anomaly for Busch considering his two best tracks over his career in terms of finishing position are the other short tracks on NASCAR's schedule, Bristol and Richmond.

The finish likely had no bearing, however, on crew chief Steve Addington's future with Joe Gibbs Racing in a role other than crew chief.

Did you catch Denny Hamlin's Twitter shout-out in the post-race interview?

Hamlin mentioned the fans of his Twitter account -- look him under http://www.twitter.com/DennyHamlin -- in his victory celebration and later tweeted "That's what I'm talking about!!! Whooo!! I told ya we would win another!"

Hamlin rolled out his official Twitter page a few weeks ago and has already surged to over 5,000 fans. Now if only the FanHouseRacing Twitter could get as much love...

Because I've yet to include a quote in this edition -- unless quotes from Twitter count -- of "N's & Q's", I'll leave you with my favorite driver saying of the Martinsville weekend, courtesy of Mr. Matt Kenseth.

"I thought I did a bad job and thought I ran into about everything," said Kenseth. "I had some issues on a couple of restarts and we struggled on our last pit stop, so all of those things considered, to finish 14th is really good."

Hey Matt: talk to Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Kasey Kahne -- I'll bet they feel the same way. A walk in the park 500 laps at Martinsville is not.

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Tums 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hamlin Holds On for Martinsville Win

FanHouse Newswire — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:37:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) -- Denny Hamlin didn't need to do anything funny to exact his revenge from Jimmie Johnson at Martinsville Speedway. He just drove right by him.

And then he drove away with ease on three restarts over the final 52 laps, ending the three-time defending series champion's remarkable run of five trips to Victory Lane in the previous six races at the shortest circuit in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series.

Hamlin used an out-of-sequence pit stops after about 160 laps to move to the front, then held on up there until the entire leaderboard headed for pit road about 20 laps later.

"Once we got that track position, our car just kind of took off," he said.

More Coverage: Tums 500 Results | Sprint Cup Standings

The finish shaped up as another possible drama involving Hamlin and Johnson, who nudged Hamlin aside with 15 laps to go at Martinsville in the spring and sailed off to an easy victory.

But with NASCAR having implemented double-file restarts since then, it was no trouble.

"The only difference was it was double-file restarts versus single-file and you actually feel a little bit better with him right beside you than behind you," Hamlin said.

He wound up leading the final 138 laps after passing Johnson, and pulled away after a restart with 52 laps to go, another with 12 laps left and then for a two-lap sprint to the end.

The final restart was for debris on the track, which he thought curious.

"It was there in turn one," he said of the debris. "However it was there at lap 100. It was. I'm not kidding you. It was there. I don't know if there was another piece somewhere."

Johnson said he wished he had the car to reprise his bump-and-run pass of the spring.

"If I had a chance to pass him and to get to his bumper and work him over, I would have," he said. "But I wasn't going to come in with the second-place car and take a cheap shot and pass him that way. If I felt like I had a car to win the race, I would have been up there leaning on him some."

Instead, he protected his position and his points lead.

Seeking his record fourth consecutive series title, Johnson extended his lead over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin from 90 points to 118 with four races remaining. Jeff Gordon, also of Hendrick, remained third, but saw his deficit grow from 135 to 150.

Juan Pablo Montoya finished third, followed by Kyle Busch, who passed Gordon on the final lap. Martin finished eighth.

"I would have liked to have been hooked up better, but we couldn't get it and we fought tooth and nail for everything we could get," Martin said.

Hamlin's second career victory on the 0.526-mile oval kept the Virginia racer as the only driver besides Johnson to win on the paper clip-shaped track in the last seven races.

He led three times for a race-high 206 laps, while Johnson led 164 circuits.

Hamlin, who seemingly dominates just as often as Johnson at Martinsville, but without the finishes to show for it, showed he had Johnson's number when he passed him on lap 363.

He then pulled steadily away, deftly moving around lapped traffic and opening a lead of more than 4 seconds during a long green-flag run. With just over 70 laps to go, radio chatter indicted that the teams were fast approaching pit stops under green, a Martinsville rarity.

The stops started among drivers not in contention, and then Montoya and Johnson headed in, with Hamlin stopping two laps later. He emerged with his nearly 4-second lead intact.

The victory was Hamlin's third of the season, a small consolation because after saying he felt like the man to beat in the 10-race Chase for the championship, he had faded to 11th.

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Latest NASCAR Photos

Denny Hamlin (11) crosses the finish line to win the Tums 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup auto race as John Andretti (34) lies sideways at the Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Latest NASCAR Images

MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 25: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's/Halloween Toyota, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 25, 2009 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch

Getty Images for NASCAR

MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 25: Mark Martin, driver of the #5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 25, 2009 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Mark Martin

Getty Images for NASCAR

MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 25: Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 25, 2009 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Tony Stewart

Getty Images for NASCAR

MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 25: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 25, 2009 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Denny Hamlin

Getty Images for NASCAR

MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 25: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 25, 2009 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Denny Hamlin

Getty Images for NASCAR

MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 25: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 25, 2009 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Denny Hamlin

Getty Images

MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 25: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, leads David Reutimann, driver of the #00 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota, and Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 25, 2009 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Denny Hamlin;David Reutimann;Juan Pablo Montoya

Getty Images

MARTINSVILLE, VA - OCTOBER 25: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, comes to the finishline to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 25, 2009 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Denny Hamlin

Getty Images

Jeff Burton (31) gets service in front of Kurt Busch (2) during the Tums 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup auto race at the Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

Hamlin Holds On for Martinsville Win originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Warmup: Kansas 400

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:49:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Chase for the Sprint Cup

The Essentials

Race: Price Chopper 400

Where: Kansas Speedway
Time: Sunday 2:00 p.m./EDT
TV/Radio: ABC, MRN Radio
Twitter: Updates @ FanHouseRacing
Forecast: Mid-60s, Mostly Sunny
Distance: 267 laps (400.5 miles)
Pole Winner: Mark Martin
2008 Winner: Jimmie Johnson

The Storylines

Beware of the tar of death Sunday at Kansas Speedway.

No, it's not a pit behind turn three that's swallowing up race fans or an obstacle on the track (think Mario Kart), but rather, the 'tar of death' is what Kurt Busch has coined the asphalt sealant used on the seams of the race track in Kansas.
Obviously, his No. 2 machine isn't exactly getting along with aforementioned tar.

"It's definitely challenging." Busch said, "Last year I had a hard time here at Kansas. I don't know when they put that tar sealant down to help with drainage, water getting into the cracks and pot holes developing or big bumps. I couldn't go from the second lane to the third lane or the second lane back to the first lane without crossing the 'tar of death'. It was tough."

So tough, in fact, that it appeared that Busch's team didn't come close to getting a handle on the seams in qualifying. He'll start 39th, the lowest starting position of any Chase driver.

Jeff Gordon confirmed Busch's notion of some issues with with the transitions between pavement strips in the corners.

"You either got to go above them, straddle them or somehow get below them," said Gordon. "It's definitely challenging."

Gordon also discussed another track issue -- namely Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

The Los Angeles Times reported this week that the track had been denied a chance to increase corner banking of the 2-mile D-shaped oval to above 20 degrees in an attempt to make the track a better venue for passing and close racing. Gordon, the winner of the inaugural race at the track, said the issue isn't really the track.

"I think it's a great track," said Gordon. "Is it our most exciting one? Maybe not our most exciting one, but I still think it's a great track, a great facility, and if they're not packing the stands, that's not it. It's something else."

What, then, does Gordon think that something else is? Well, he doesn't have an answer, but he's got a theory.

"NFL is a great game and it is the most popular sport in our country," said Gordon. "And they cannot make an NFL franchise work in Los Angeles. Why is that?"

Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski aren't following the conventional rules of fighting in the NASCAR world.

Why? Well, it's simple: they haven't made up.

Nope, there's been no reach out, no mid-week calls and no joint statements of love and compassion for each other this week as we've seen all-too-often when drivers spar on track. Hamlin and Keselowski had a bit of a scuffle following last week's Nationwide Series race at Dover following Keselowski making contact with Hamlin, causing him to spin.

Hamlin wasn't making any bones about his lack of good feelings towards Keselowski Friday at Kansas.

"I still don't agree with him and he hasn't called me to reach out to say he's sorry so as far as I'm concerned, he needs to be worried whenever I'm around," said Hamlin.

Such a warning didn't exactly send Keselowski running for cover.

"Mentally, I'm tough enough that whatever words he has to say, it doesn't bother me -- doesn't faze me," said Keselowski.

Hand it to Joe Nemechek and his strong qualifying run this weekend.

Nemechek, who could be lumped in with the "start and parks" that do little more than make a qualifying attempt and start the race before making a left hand turn into the garage area shortly after starting the race, will start 7th on Sunday. His No. 87 team is trying to get by with extremely limited sponsorship and a short staff.

Kansas Speedway, though, was the last place of Nemechek's biggest NASCAR success. In 2004, he won both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races at Kansas in addition to winning the pole for the Cup race.

Jamie McMurray, unsure of plans for 2010, lines up fourth for Sunday's race.

The top-five start is his best qualifying effort since a pair of third-place starts at Fontana and Atlanta back at the start of 2009 campaign. McMurray is 23rd in points after what could only be described as an extremely disappointing season for the Missori driver.

FanHouse Warmup: Kansas 400 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Warmup: AAA 400 @ Dover

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:18:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Elliott Sadler, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup

The Essentials

Race: AAA 400

Where: Dover Int'l Speedway
Time: Sunday 2 p.m./EDT
TV/Radio: ESPN, Motor Racing Network
Twitter: Updates @ FanHouseRacing
Forecast: Mid-70s, Partly Cloudy, 40% rain
Distance: 400 laps (400 miles)
Pole Winner: Jimmie Johnson
2008 Winner: Greg Biffle

The Storylines

If you've caught any coverage of Sprint Cup practice or qualifying this weekend from Dover, the chance you didn't hear a driver complain about the new Goodyear tire compound was razor thin.

The tire supplier tested at the mile-long concrete track in August and brought back a compound that is supposed to have more grip like a tire for Charlotte or Las Vegas. The right-side tires also feature compound elements learned from Indianapolis that Goodyear hopes will allow the rubber to adhere to the racing groove better.

Several teams were taken by surprise by the change this weekend and have noticed a tremendous difference in the tire's handling characteristics from the May race at Dover -- leaving many to ponder and criticize Goodyear's changes.

Denny Hamlin, qualified 13th for Sunday's race, was the most vocal of opponents on Friday in the garage area.

"There was a tire test here and, from what I hear, they didn't bring back the tire that everyone liked," Hamlin said. "They won't listen to us drivers, so I don't know why we even tire test these race tracks anymore.

"They'll take a lot of data from this tire or they'll piece together this tire and that tire and make a tire that no one has run on and it ends up being terrible."

Greg Biffle wasn't as critical of the process, but felt the changes were unnecessary.

"This tire is really proposing a lot of trouble for us, and we're just super-loose and having troubles getting a hold of the race track," said Biffle. "They should've left the tire alone. There was nothing wrong with the old one."

Of course, there were other drivers who felt that the complaining wasn't needed and that the tire would be fine. Kurt Busch's feelings about the tire were positive, feeling that the drivers just need to do their jobs.

"It's not driving very easy, but we're fast," said Busch, who paced the second practice session. "I think what the car is telling me is that this new tire is asking for the drivers to get up on the wheel and drive hard."

And Michael Waltrip Racing's David Reutimann was quite gung-ho about the grip level of the tire -- something Goodyear probably liked to hear.

"I think Goodyear has got a very good tire," said Reutimann. "It seems like it has a lot of grip and a lot of good drive. The tire has a little more stagger and a couple of subtle things."

Hamlin's irritation didn't stop with the tires after getting booted late out of Saturday's Nationwide race at Dover.

Brad Keselowski made a move underneath Hamlin on lap 189 of the 200 lap event in turn two. Hamlin, who admitted his spotter told him that the No. 88 was down low, tried to cut down to stop Keselowski off the corner. Contact ensued and Hamlin spun lazily across the track before clipping the nose of his car against the inside wall.

Hamlin would pull directly to the garage and finish 27th while Keselowski finished third. The controversy didn't stop there, though.

When the 25-year-old Keselowski pulled into the pits after the race, 29-year-old Hamlin greeted him at his car and exchanged a few words with him. Later, Hamlin said he wanted to offer Keselowski "guidance".

The pair exchanged a shoves with Keselowski's PR rep handling Hamlin for the driver from Michigan.

Don't worry, we've got the Youtube of the whole discussion -- and a little bit of background from a tangle between these two at Charlotte last season -- right here.

Elliott Sadler, fresh off his 8th-place finish last week, suffered the same problem that his Richard Petty Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne had a week ago during qualifying for Sunday's race.

Sadler's No. 19 broke a crankshaft his R6 Dodge engine -- the same ill that knocked Kasey Kahne out of the race at New Hampshire last week. Unlike Kahne, though, Sadler will be biting the bullet on Sunday with the same model of engine because of problems with motor mounts.

Kahne is planning to race the R5 engine -- an older, but more reliable generation of the Dodge motor -- for the rest of the season. Sadler, meanwhile, will have to put a new R6 in for Sunday because the motor mounts on his car at Dover don't align with the R5, and the chassis work to make it fit is too much to handle away from the shop.

Rain is a possibility today at Dover, but the chances seem to be tapering off as the day moves on.

The National Weather Service has the threat of isolated showers at 40 percent through 3pm local time today and otherwise partly cloudy.

Here's to hoping we can get a full race in.

The Prediction

Greg Biffle has scored 108 more points in the last 10 races at Dover than Jimmie Johnson to lead all active drivers in that category. However, Johnson does have four wins at the track compared to Biffle's two.

Johnson is the most recent winner at Dover, but Biffle won last season's fall race at the one-mile concrete oval.

Those two seem like obvious favorites at the fast track in Delaware, but there's just one more stat you should know. Carl Edwards has the best average finish of them all -- he's normally 7th -- and has failed to complete just 5 laps in his career at the track.

Who's your favorite today? Me, I'll take Jimmie Johnson.

FanHouse Warmup: AAA 400 @ Dover originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Sylvania 300

Geoffrey Miller — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:58:00 EST

Filed under: Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Chase for the Sprint Cup

We promise to throw a caution with ample time to slow down in the event of a spinning car on this Chase edition of Notes & Quotes.

Pressure? What pressure? Juan Pablo Montoya's run into the Chase for the Sprint Cup is quite the enviable position for most other drivers simply because of the expectations that the former Formula 1 driver has on his back.

Or, make that the lack of expectations.

"I mean, what's the pressure? We made the Chase," said Montoya after his third-place finish. "From now on, anything about that, it's a balance. Come here, first Chase race, put on the pole, finish second. Can I ask for anything else? Not really. A win would be nice, but that will come."

Sure, a win would be nice for Montoya, but you can bet that's a little less important for the Columbian driver than, say, a championship. A title isn't completely a completely off-the-wall possibility for the No. 42 car, based on his slim 55 point deficit to leader Mark Martin and the consistency the team put together in regular season's closing races.

There was plenty of three-wide and otherwise risky maneuvers during Sunday's race -- and not just between drivers with nothing on the line except winning. The Chase drivers were fully involved with the good show we had for several laps.

Denny Hamlin surmised that it had a lot to do with track position and little to do recklessness.

"I think everyone is just -- I think everyone panics," Hamlin said after coming out unscathed in second-place. "When you see at the beginning of the race the top 10 and they're all Chase guys, you're like, man, I've got to fight for every position I can, and track position means so much that I think every hole that you see on the racetrack you immediately go for because it doesn't matter if your car is two tenths faster than the car in front of you. If he runs your line, you're not going to get around him.

"So I think everyone is just jumping to every opportunity that they can, and that's why you see the three wide is everyone is just trying to make up all the spots they can, and a lot of it has to do with the excitement of the start of the Chase."

Restarts played a big role in how two Chase drivers didn't perform as expected on Sunday, and left them both disappointed with their first of ten rounds of NASCAR's championship system.

Jeff Gordon, who looked strong early, ran 15th while Carl Edwards trailed him as the second-worst finishing Chase driver in 17th.

"If you're on the front row, you can get away with it a little bit but being fifth or sixth we just really struggled with the grip on the restarts," said Gordon. "We'd lose three or four spots every restart and then we'd start not being able to gain it back. It just wasn't a good day for us. It's one we've just got to put behind us and go on."

Edwards echoed Gordon's sentiments that the restarts -- especially on the low air pressures of new tires after a pit stops -- really hurt his march to the front.

"Our car just struggled all day and I couldn't go fast," said Edwards. "Once I got strung out I could hold my own and I could run well, but on those restarts I just got killed on the short run."

Thanks to their finishes, each driver has a pretty big hole to dig out of if a run at the championship is a possibility. Edwards sits 11th in points 113 back of leader Martin while Gordon is 10th, 102 back.

Brian Vickers managed an 11th-place finish, but felt like he could have gotten even more had the team not struggled through multiple problems throughout the weekend.

"We're not making it any easier on ourselves as a team," Vickers said. We started the weekend off and had a lot of engine problems in the first practice that put us about an hour and a half behind the competition. Then in the race, we had a lot of problems in the pits and some other problems that I think cost us an opportunity at a top-five."

Otherwise, Vickers called his 11th-place run a "solid finish" to his first ever race as a Chase competitor that leaves him 90 points from the top spot in the point standings.

Give some props to Elliott Sadler for his strong run Sunday at New Hampshire.

The Virginia-native is driving for the same team as Kasey Kahne and has certainly felt the setbacks and growing pains of the various mergers of Richard Petty Motorsports. His 8th-place finish was the best for No. 19 since his 5th-place run at Daytona in February and marked just his fourth Top-10 of 2009.

Remember, just a few years ago Sadler was a contender in the Chase with Yates Racing. His infectious down-home personality would only do good things for the sport if he could get back to being competitive again.

Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Sylvania 300 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR Makes Risky Late Caution Call

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:36:00 EST

Filed under: A.J. Allmendinger, Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya, Mark Martin

A.J. Allmendinger's car sat quiet across the frontstretch of New Hampshire Motor Speedway with the white flag waving as he flipped the car's starter, trying to crank the engine.

Meanwhile, leaders Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin and Juan Pablo Montoya scrambled for position on the final lap through turns 3 and 4 as the flagman prepared to wave the checkered flag. In a flash, it looked like the finish of the first race of the Chase was going to end in a crushing fashion as Allmendinger sat helplessly in peril.

At the last possible second, NASCAR threw the caution to avoid the collision but also provoked a new topic of discussion for the coming week: when exactly is the best -- and safest -- time to put out the yellow flag on a race's final lap?
Drivers were certainly a confused over the matter, but NASCAR stood firm behind their call. According to the NASCAR Scene, the policy observed by the sanctioning body has the objective of allowing the finish to transpire normally as long as they can safely avoid or will not catch the potentially caution-causing danger.

NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton indicated that NASCAR did everything it could to finish Sunday's Sprint Cup race under green-flag conditions.

"We were waiting to see if the 44 car [of Allmendinger] could get going and get out of the way, and we realized there was a potential blocking of part of the race track," Pemberton said. "You know when the cars are going to get there, and you wait as long as you can to try to not affect the outcome of a race. We felt like we had adequate time when we threw the caution."

Pemberton said NASCAR often waits as long as possible throughout a race.

"We don't like the race to end under caution," Pemberton said. "We felt like we gave enough time for safety's sake, and it is what it is. I believe we wait as long as we can. There are times during the middle of the race when a car will turn around and we bide some time to see if it gets going. It happens quite a bit. It just gets more noticed when it's the last lap of the race."

Jeff Gordon probably summed it up best when he described the communication between himself and his spotter -- generally the person who relays information over the radio when a caution waves. Confusion was the name of the game.

"All I know is my spotter was saying there was a car down low on the front straightaway stopped, and I never heard them say, 'Caution,'" said Gordon after his 15th-place finish. "So everybody was still going, and I saw the caution out of the corner of my eye. I said, 'I never heard the caution' and he said, 'That's because it didn't come out until just now' and I was surprised by that."

Interestingly enough, a very similar situation at New Hampshire in 2003 was the last domino to fall in NASCAR's former policy to allow all-out racing back to the start/finish line when the caution waves. In that instance, Dale Jarrett spun in a very similar fashion on the frontstretch and barely avoided a broadside impact as the field raced for position back to the line.

Just weeks later, NASCAR adopted the current policy that freezes scoring at the point of caution and penalizes drivers who didn't slow to a cautious pace.

The idea of letting drivers race back to the checkered flag is certainly one that needs to take precedence in this discussion. And with that in mind, making the decision from the control tower on when to throw a caution flagis a tough one to make.

Most folks would have guessed Allmendinger would have gotten his car at least cranked and rolling down the frontstretch by the time the leaders were crossing the finish line. But sometimes, a hot race car doesn't start immediately after going for a spin -- something that isn't the fault of a driver.

Knowing that, and seeing that the field was bearing down on turn 3 while Allmendinger, NASCAR probably should have thrown the caution a few seconds earlier. Armchair race director decisions are much easier, though, after seeing how the original played out.

Racing to checkered flag makes the headlines, but Sunday's finish was probably a bit too close for comfort for everyone -- especially Allmendinger.

NASCAR Makes Risky Late Caution Call originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Busch Barely Misses Out on Chase

FanHouse Newswire — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:37:00 EST

Filed under: Brian Vickers, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Denny Hamlin suffered his fair share of heartbreak at Richmond International Raceway, the home track where he so desperately wanted a win.

He finally got it Saturday night, but the victory celebration was muted. Kyle Busch, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, fell eight points short of making the Chase for the championship in the tightest deciding race since the format was launched in 2004.

Chevy Rock & Roll 400: Check Race Results | Series Standings

"We did all we can do. We gave a valiant effort and it was a good night," Busch said. "We will live to see another day. We'll go on for the rest of the year."

Hamlin, with the momentum of his Richmond win, believes he's the favorite to win the Sprint Cup title. He twice before led the most laps at Richmond, where he sat in the stands as a child rooting on boyhood idol Bill Elliott, only to have late pitfalls sabotage his shot at victory.

Now he's got his Richmond win, his second of the season, and a ton of confidence headed into the Chase.

"They better watch us," he vowed. "I am telling you, this team is dangerous."

Mark Martin, who at 50 is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career, leads the Chase field as the top seed and is followed by Tony Stewart and three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson.

Hamlin starts the Chase in fourth and is followed by Kasey Kahne, three-time series champion Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch and Brian Vickers, who finished a career-best seventh Saturday night to grab the final qualifying spot.

Carl Edwards will start the Chase in ninth and is followed by Ryan Newman, Juan Pablo Montoya and Greg Biffle.

Busch and Matt Kenseth, who had made the Chase in each of its first five seasons, were the two drivers shut out of the field.

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RICHMOND, VA - SEPTEMBER 12: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota left, talks with Team Owner Joe Gibbs after failing to make the "Chase for the Sprint Cup" by finishing in fifth place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 12, 2009 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch

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RICHMOND, VA - SEPTEMBER 12: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota takes the checkered flag winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 12, 2009 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Denny Hamlin

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RICHMOND, VA - SEPTEMBER 12: Confetti flies as drivers celebrate after making the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 12, 2009 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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RICHMOND, VA - SEPTEMBER 12: Drivers celebrate after making the "Chase for the Sprint Cup" following the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 12, 2009 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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RICHMOND, VA - SEPTEMBER 12: (Back row from L-R) Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Office Depot Chevrolet, Carl Edwards, driver of the #99 Aflac Ford, Greg Biffle, driver of the #16 3M Ford, Mark Martin, driver of the #5 Kellogg's Chevrolet, Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Dupont Chevrolet, (Front row L-R) Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, Ryan Newman, driver of the #39 U.S. Army Chevrolet, Kasey Kahne, driver of the #9 Budweiser Dodge, Kurt Busch, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Toyota, and Brian Vickers, driver of the #83 Red Bull Toyota, pose with the Sprint Cup trophy following the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 12, 2009 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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The Sprint Cup Chase drivers pose in front of the trophy after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Chevy Rock & Roll 400 auto race at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Va., Saturday Sept. 11, 2009. The drivers are from left to right top row Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Bottom row, Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin and Brian Vickers. (AP Photo/Scott k. Brown)

Brian Vickers, right, sprays champagne on Jeff Gordon after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Chevy Rock & Roll 400 auto race at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Va., Saturday Sept. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Scott k. Brown)

Chase drivers from left to right, Top row, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Bottom row, Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin and Brian Vickers pose after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Chevy Rock & Roll 400 auto race at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Va. Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Jason Hirschfeld)

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It made for a compelling night of racing, where 11 drivers vied for the final eight available spots in NASCAR's title-deciding Chase.

On the bubble was Kenseth, the Daytona 500 winner, who started the race in the 12th and final qualifying spot. Vickers, charging hard the past 11 races, and Busch were right on his bumper.

But Kenseth struggled from the drop of the green flag and quickly fell out of contention. Busch and Vickers swapped the final spot multiple times over the 400 laps, setting up a final 14-lap sprint to the finish.

Busch used a flawless final pit stop to beat Vickers off of pit road, but he restarted the race sixth and could only gain one spot on the track. He finished fifth and said he'll focus now on helping Hamlin win a championship.

"I'll do my best to help Denny out and bring Joe Gibbs Racing a championship," Busch said. "I think Denny has got a lot going forward, especially winning here. He's going to have a big momentum boost next week."

Vickers, meanwhile, grabbed his best finish at Richmond when his season was on the line. He had feuded with Busch, his one-time teammate, over the past month but the two showed no ill-will toward each other after the frantic finish. Busch extended a handshake and said, "Good job," as Vickers entered the post-race news conference.

Vickers, who got upstart Red Bull Racing into its first Chase, promised a long night of celebrating.

"I genuinely mean that, I'm going to party hard tonight," he said.

Kenseth, winner of the first two races this season, was shut out of the Chase for the first time since it started in 2004.

"Third race of the year, Las Vegas, we finished last and it's been downhill from there," Kenseth said. "The way we're running right now, even if we made it, we wouldn't have a shot at the championship."

By JENNA FRYER, AP Sports Writer

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Kyle Busch Barely Misses Out on Chase originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mark Martin Wins Pole at Richmond

Holly Cain — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:40:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Penske Racing, Chase for the Sprint Cup

RICHMOND, Va. -- Fifty-year old Mark Martin continues to make a strong case for his emotional NASCAR championship run, winning the pole position for Saturday night's Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

It's Martin's sixth pole of the year, tying him with Brian Vickers for the most in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series. His four wins is also tied for most of the season -- a victory total that equals his wins from 2000-2008 combined.

"This year, I've been getting some nice laps,'' Martin said in the ultimate understatement.

Martin Truex Jr. will be joining Martin on the front row, with Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne rounding out the top-five.

Kahne was the best qualifier of the nine other drivers still trying to clinch one of the final eight points in the Chase for the Championship. The other contenders include Brian Vickers (sixth), Kyle Busch (eighth), Carl Edwards (10th), Kurt Busch (13th), Juan Pablo Montoya (14th), Ryan Newman (21st), Greg Biffle (24th), and Matt Kenseth (28th).

Martin, who returned to full-time competition this season after racing part-time the last two seasons, has been one of the feel-good stories of the year. He's had four top-five finishes in the last seven races driving the Hendrick Motorsports Kelloggs-sponsored No. 5 Chevy and positioned himself to be a factor in the 12-driver Chase for the Championship.

He needs to finish 12th or better, however, to secure a spot in the playoffs and continue what he considers a storybook season. His average finish in 48 previous starts at the three-quarter mile Richmond track is 11.9.

"This is beyond my wildest dreams,'' Martin said. "I had hoped we might win a race and I hoped I would drive a fast race car and have great camaraderie with teammates.

"I tend to try to not shoot so high so that I don't fall short of my expectations. I might have had higher expectations if i wasn't so afraid of that. That's how I protect myself.

"But this is what it's all about. I'm just living a dream.

"We don't have to make the Chase to save our year. It's been phenomenal."

In Other News ...

Matt Kenseth has taken a very philosophical approach to his tenuous position of 12th place in the points standings. With only a 20-point edge over 13th place Brian Vickers and a 37-point advantage over 14th place Kyle Busch, Kenseth is in a very precarious situation. In fact only 122 points separate 10 drivers vying for the final eight Chase spots.

"We're capable of much better than this,'' Kenseth said this week.

"We all have the same opportunity to gain points, lose points from Daytona all the way until the race is over here Saturday night, so I think whoever the top-12 end up being, those are the guys that should be in there because they're the ones that have enough points to be in the top-12 after the race.''

Kenseth said he doesn't want the in-race updates on his closest competitors either, finding it too distracting to his task at hand.

"I think you've just got to worry about racing your own car -- race as hard as you can all night long and at the end of the night where you finish, if that's good enough, they you're gonna be in.''

* Pat Tryson, crew chief for Kurt Busch's No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, announced Friday he will be leaving the team at the end of the season. He has led Busch to four wins since joining the team in the summer of 2007. There's no word who will replace Tryson at the Penske operation.

"It's unfortunate that Pat made that type of decision,'' Busch said solemnly Friday afternoon. "It seems like our focus should be on the Chase and making it in the Chase, so it's a tough week for that type of news.

"The timing isn't all that good, but it never is any good when you want to change directions in life. There's never a really good time to bring things up, but I can't be disappointed in Pat or upset at Pat.

"The way that we've had a great run together and the way that he turned our program around in 2007, it helped put him back on the map too, so to speak.''

Rumors have Tryson heading to the same position for driver Martin Truex Jr., who will compete for Michael Waltrip Racing in 2010. But Truex deferred when asked about it following qualifying.

* A week later, Denny Hamlin can laugh about his brush with crime a little bit. Authorities have made arrests after thieves stole Hamlin's Lexus right out of his driveway. Video surveillance of Hamlin's Lake Norman home showed the entire crime taking place. And Hamlin said Friday that authorities believe it is the same group of thieves that stole a car from his team owner and neighbor Joe Gibbs several years ago.

"I guess he's stolen about 30 cars in his life which you've got to wonder why he keeps getting out (of jail),'' Hamlin said. "I guess he stole Joe's car out of his garage six or eight years ago.... I don't know. It seems like you would at least go out of town or something instead of just riding around Charlotte. Everyone knows it's my car.

"Eventually, once they played it on the the news, they caught him the next day. Idiots."

Mark Martin Wins Pole at Richmond originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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10 Questions With ... Denny Hamlin

Geoffrey Miller — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:13:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing

Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin took a break on his way to Wednesday's Gillete Prelude to the Dream charity race (HBO pay-per-view) to chat with FanHouse about a few things you may not know about the Virginia driver.

1) If Denny Hamlin wasn't a Sprint Cup driver, he'd be...

"I'd be working on trailers at Chesterfield Trailer & Hitch in Richmond (Va.). It was a family business that we had."

2) Tell me, what's the one trophy you want to have?

"For me, it'd be this weekend at Richmond. That's just such a big race for me personally because I have all of my family and friends there."

3) You'd had some troubles there lately after leading a lot. Does that leave you with more motivation to win?

"It motivates you for sure. I definitely haven't forgot about this year (in May) when we led over 200 laps and had a lug nut fall off on the last pit stop."

4) Have you ever wanted to try other racing divisions?

"At times, you know, you kind of get a bug. But I love what I'm doing because NASCAR racing is the best around. I'm a racer though so I'll try anything. I really think that I'm in the most competitive racing series there is right now."

5) Last week Clint Bowyer told us he chose "C.C Rider" as his intro music in homage of Elvis. Why did you go with "It's My Time" by Fabulous?

"I picked that song because the lyrics of it make it a good pump up song. It's almost like getting ready to go in a boxing ring."

6) Do you like to throw on the headphones before a race to get yourself amped up?

"Rarely. I spend most of my time before a race just relaxing, actually. I don't do anything other than sit back and watch some TV for my pre-race routine.

7) Drivers often talk about a moment in their careers when they final realize they've made it. What was your "Welcome to NASCAR" moment, so to speak?

"Probably my first race at Texas. I think that was my fourth or fifth race in the FedEx car and I passed Jeff Gordon on the track. That was certainly my first bit of NASCAR reality."

8) If you're having dinner from anywhere in the world tonight, where's it coming from?

"I'd have my mom's homemade spaghetti."

9) If Denny Hamlin ran NASCAR, he would...

"Well, probably shorter races. Some of them are just too long and I think you get the best excitement when we run those shorter events."

10) Talk about your dirt experience. How nice would it be to beat Tony Stewart at his own game at Eldora during the Prelude?

"It's definitely going to be tough to beat Tony. He's got a ton of laps around there, so it's going to be hard obviously to beat him. I've got a good car heading there but I've only raced there three times now, so I definitely don't have as much experience as those guys. I'm definitely looking forward to heading back."

10 Questions With ... Denny Hamlin originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hamlin's Lexus Stolen From Driveway

Tom Herrera — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Police Blotter

It's been an emotional past month for Denny Hamlin. About a month ago, he was celebrating a victory in the Pennsylvania 500, which ended a 50-race winless streak. Now his 2008 Lexus LS has been stolen, a car valued at $50,000.

Police have released surveillance footage from a security camera in hopes it will lend clues about the theft.

The video shows two men walking down the driveway after a car pulls up to the gate at Hamlin's home. A female can be seen climbing into the driver's seat as the Lexus is pulled through the gate before a getaway is made.

"I mean, everyone feels violated when their house is broken into," Hamlin said during practice for Sunday's Pep Boys 500. "I hadn't had anything stolen up to that point, but they'll get them."

"There are only so many places you can hide," he said. "It's not like someone stole an Accord or a Camry or something like that. I mean, there's not a lot of use for joy riding in this car."

Hamlin is confident the car will be found because it's so easy to identify. A police report shows it is owned by Toyota Motorsales.

You can check out video of the theft here.

Hamlin's Lexus Stolen From Driveway originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 05 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pocono 'Angels' Dump Denny's Demons

Geoffrey Miller — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:20:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing

A 50-race winless streak may well have been 500 for Denny Hamlin.

Fuel pump issues, late-race passes and even a transmission that broke so violently that the shifter split in half while he was holding it have been the chapters of Denny Hamlin's long, harrowing and extremely frustrating Sprint Cup novel since March of 2008.

But the Virginia driver sped to his fifth career win Monday at Pocono Raceway to dispatch of those demons while he had some "angels" by his side.

More Coverage: Tearful Hamlin Snaps Skid | Sprint Cup Series Standings

"We've come close in a lot of races this year but came up short," said Hamlin in Victory Lane. "We definitely had some angels with us today."

The "angels" Hamlin was referring to were his 91-year-old grandmother -- and from his description, the biggest fan of Hamlin's race team -- who passed away last week, as well as a crew member on the No. 11 team who lost a mother recently.

If indeed Hamlin felt a boost from the sadness his team has felt in the past week, it couldn't have come at a better time for the team -- and Hamlin especially.

"I found myself over the last few months starting to think, 'Man, I'm only racing for second when I show up," said Hamlin. "That's no way to be."

Was doubt, then, starting to set in with Denny and his abilities?

"A little bit. A lot of it's from what I read," said Hamlin. "We can't close. We led how many laps and not got a race win. That's pressure that I put on myself. I read too much into it."

While he may have read into it, there was no getting around that since he last saw Victory Lane at Martinsville Speedway in March of 2008, disappointment has won out big over Hamlin.

First, there was the Richmond race in May 2008. Hamlin dominated his home-track event by leading some 381 laps of the 400-lapper. Suddenly, a tire blew with just handfuls of circuits remaining to take him from contention.

There was the spring race at Talladega that he led some 37 laps in before finishing 3rd, and this season, Jimmie Johnson used a bump and slide late at Martinsville to take the win after Hamlin had led 296 of 500 laps. And just last week, Hamlin went from having a decent car to suffering drivetrain issues that were so forceful after a pit stop that the shifter broke off in his hand.

Even the Pocono spring race was unbearable as the No. 11 developed problems under the hood before the field even reached turn one -- quite the shock for most since Hamlin is always considered a threat at the triangle track. Those problems, though, probably helped Hamlin and crew chief Mike Ford find the best setup for the second time around.

"It was tough to really use it as a solid test session because we had dirty air the whole day. We ran back there," said Hamlin of the June race. "We didn't want to race with any guys, affect their race. But we did learn some things. We really did."

Learned enough to lead some 91 laps and earn his third career win at Pocono, at least.

Thanks to the win, Hamlin's confidence certainly got a shot in the arm.

"This just puts the confidence back in me that I can come from middle of the pack with 30 to go and win a race," said Hamlin. "In the big, grand scheme of things, we've been the most solid car that hasn't had a Hendrick label on it. You know, for the most part I take a lot of pride in that. We're taking strides forward starting today."

Strides indeed.

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Denny Hamlin sprays champagne as he celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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Driver Denny Hamlin makes a pit stop during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

David Reutimann, left, is bumped by Denny Hamlin coming out of the second turn during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. Hamlin won the race and Reutimann finished 29th. (AP Photo/Russ Hamilton Jr.)

Marcos Ambrose (47) drives his wrecked race car back to the pits for repairs as Jimmie Johnson (48) drives past during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race Monday, Aug. 3, 2009, at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. Denny Hamlin won the race. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Sam Hornish Jr. leads Martin Truex Jr. as they race through turn three during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. Hornish finished fourth and Truex finished 19th. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

LONG POND, PA - AUGUST 03: Denny Hamlin (R), driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota, and team owner J.D. Gibbs pose in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at the Pocono Raceway on August 3, 2009 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Denny Hamlin;J.D. Gibbs

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Driver Jimmie Johnson makes a pit stop during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. Johnson finished in 13th place. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Tony Stewart races into turn one during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. Stewart finished 10th and leads the points standings. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Driver Clint Bowyer races through turn three during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. Bowyer finished the race in third place. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Denny Hamlin leads on lap 91 during the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 NASCAR race at the Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, Monday, August 3, 2009. (Steven M. Falk/Philadelphia Daily News/MCT)

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David Ragan (6) bumped Bobby Labonte (96) during a six-car wreck on lap 180 during the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 NASCAR race at the Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, Monday, August 3, 2009. (Steven M. Falk/Philadelphia Daily News/MCT)

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Pocono 'Angels' Dump Denny's Demons originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hamlin Snaps Winless Streak at Pocono

FanHouse Newswire — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:50:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) -- Denny Hamlin had few bigger fans than his grandmother. She wore her No. 11 socks, held her No. 11 stuffed bear, and watched every race on TV -- even as she sat and squinted only inches away from the 30-inch screen.

When Thelma Clark died last week at 91, there was a part of Hamlin that didn't want to be at the track.

With a heavy heart, Hamlin came to Pocono Raceway and snapped a 50-race winless skid. He took the checkered flag at the Pennsylvania 500 on Monday and dedicated this victory to his grandmother.

``She understands the competition of the sport and she understands how much she means to me,'' Hamlin said. ``Like today, she's pretty proud.''

Hamlin held off Juan Pablo Montoya over the final riveting laps, then choked up with grief in Victory Lane.

Hamlin won for the third time in eight career starts at the triangle track that has become his personal playground. He has had three other top 10s there in the No. 11 Toyota.

He was in tears following the emotional race, the victory coming three days after his grandmother's death. There was a catch to his voice as he spoke, and he wiped his face with a towel before walking away for a subdued celebration.

``We definitely had some angels with us today,'' Hamlin said.

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Denny Hamlin reacts emotionally as he gets out of his car in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. His grandmother, Thelma Clark, died Friday at 91. (AP Photo/Russ Hamilton Sr.)

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Driver Denny Hamlin (11) leads Jeff Gordon (24) and Jimmy Johnson (48) Lowes Chevrolet early in the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 NASCAR race at the Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, Monday, August 3, 2009. (Steven M. Falk/Philadelphia Daily News/MCT)

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Joey Logano (20) and Michael Waltrip (55) crash in turn one during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Russ Hamilton Sr.)

Bobby Labonte (96), David Ragan (6) and Joey Logano (20) crash in turn one during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Monday, Aug. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Russ Hamilton Sr.)

Brian Vickers, left, Ryan Newman, and Greg Biffle (16) race three abreast during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race Monday, Aug. 3, 2009, at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Denny Hamlin's car (11) makes contact with that of David Reutimann (00) as Marcos Ambrose (47) drives alongside during the NASCAR Pennsylvania 500 auto race Monday, Aug. 3, 2009, at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. Hamlin won the race. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

This was Hamlin's first victory since Martinsville Speedway in March 2008. He predicted victory and backed it up to strengthen his bid for a spot in the Chase for the championship.

Hamlin, who swept Pocono as a rookie in 2006, is fifth in points and the only JGR driver in the top 12.

``I told him earlier, we're going to lobby for a few extra races at Pocono,'' JGR president J.D. Gibbs said.

The race had been delayed a day because of rain. Usually not known as a track that produces exciting races, this one was wild and unpredictable almost from the start.

Clint Bowyer was third. Sam Hornish Jr. was fourth for his best finish in a Cup car, and Kasey Kahne was fifth.

``Things haven't been going our way all year long so it feels good to have something swing our way,'' Bowyer said.

Three-time defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson battled an unruly car all day, falling three laps down and needing a carburetor change with 60 laps left before rebounding with a solid 13th-place finish. Johnson was scheduled to visit with President Barack Obama on Monday in honor of his 2008 Sprint Cup title.

Tony Stewart, who won Pocono in June, finished 10th and increased his points lead to 197 over Johnson.

Montoya rebounded nicely after the crushing disappointment of losing a victory last week at Indianapolis because of a pit road speeding penalty. Montoya insisted when he got to Pocono that he had moved on and kept his eye solely on the points standings. He went from 10th to eighth in the standings and is in good shape to make the Chase for the first time.

Montoya used the same No. 42 Chevrolet as last week.

``We brought it because it just ran good last week,'' he said. ``We thought, just bring it back.''

Bowyer, who wasn't won in 47 races, moved up to 15th in the Chase standings. There are five races left before the 12-driver field is set for the 10-race sprint for the title.

Hamlin had a rare poor outing in the June race at Pocono because of a fuel pump problem that sent him to the garage after only two laps. He returned and finished 38th, but has been one of the hottest drivers over the last seven races.

Hamlin recorded four top fives over that span and did all he could to move up the standings - except win.

``I feel like we're the best car other than the Hendrick cars,'' Hamlin said.

The Hendrick cars were mostly out of the picture over the final laps, leaving a pack of drivers who haven't contended for many checkered flags this year going for the win.

Montoya, Bowyer and Hornish are all winless, and Kahne has one victory.

Hamlin led 91 laps, but had fallen to 11th. He bumped David Reutimann with 25 laps left to bring out a caution.

Fueled by emotion, Hamlin scrapped any ideas of a conservative approach for points and raced hard for the win. One member of Hamlin's crew recently lost his mother, and the whole team was mourning. Hamlin couldn't keep his emotions in check.

``Every lap. Every single lap it comes out,'' Hamlin said. ``When I got behind, it really started getting frustrating from my standpoint. I thought I was going to let it slip away with 50 to go.''

Not this time.

Not when he was driving for his family.

``I felt like this weekend I was going to have help in a lot of different places,'' Hamlin said.

By DAN GELSTON, AP Sports Writer

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Hamlin Snaps Winless Streak at Pocono originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Warmup: Russ Friedman 400

Geoffrey Miller — Sat, 02 May 2009 14:14:00 EST

Filed under: Brian Vickers, Denny Hamlin, Sprint Cup

The Essentials

Race: Russ Friedman 400 by Crown Royal

Where: Richmond Int'l Raceway
Time: Saturday 7:30 p.m./EDT
TV/Radio: FOX Sports, MRN Radio
Twitter: Live updates at FanHouseRacing
Forecast: 60 degrees, 60% chance of rain
Distance: 400 laps (300 miles)
Pole Winner: Brian Vickers
2008 Winner: Clint Bowyer

The Storylines

Who in the world is Russ Friedman? After winning a promotion though Crown Royal, Saturday night's presenting sponsor, Friedman earned himself naming rights to the event in a program that's been going for a few years now.

Friedman, as it turns out, is a veteran of the war in Iraq and has received -- count 'em -- two purple hearts during his service.

"When I found out in Daytona that I was the winner, I knew I wanted to use the race to celebrate all those individuals who protect our country every day," said Friedman in a press release. "I just hope I can do my part to make my fellow soldiers proud this weekend in Richmond."

Crown Royal has helped Friedman's mission by supplying tickets to service members at many races this season, making 'Thank You' signs for Saturday night's crowd and sending various racing-related merchandise to soldiers stationed overseas.

Last fall, it was a tropical storm that forced the Saturday night event into a Sunday afternoon start, and it appears Mother Nature wants to spoil the show again for Saturday night's race.

Sporadic rain that has been moving across the midwest at a snail's pace has seemed to set in around the Richmond region, leaving the forecast for Saturday for scatterd thunderstorms and Saturday night with a 60 percent chance that the region will get doused with precipitation.

Sunday doesn't look any better, forecast-wise, so NASCAR might be in for a long night to get this one done. We'll keep the fingers crossed.

Roush-Fenway Racing doesn't seem to have improved since the last time it was at a short track. During the season's first two small track events at Martinsville and Bristol, the five car team managed just one Top-10 finish with Jamie McMurray's 10th-place at Bristol.

All five cars will start Saturday night's 400-lapper from 20th or worse with Greg Biffle (starting 20th) leading the pack. David Ragan lines up 22nd, Jamie McMurray 27th, Matt Kenseth 35th and last week's aerial performance winner Carl Edwards starting 37th.

The problem, many of the drivers have said, is that Roush's flat track program is just behind right now.

Twitter has just gotten that much cooler after Motorsports FanHouse officially opted to jump on board this week. We're still new at this, but we'd love to have all you Twitterheads on-board for yet another way to get some breaking NASCAR news and live race updates.

Yep, fire up the cell or the ol' Commodore 64 and follow us at twitter.com/FanHouseRacing for tonight's Russ Friedman 400. It's like a live blog that you can do at your couch!

David Poole's legacy in this sport isn't something that soon move on, and that's deservedly so. FH's Holly Cain talked about his impact earlier this week after the Charlotte Observer NASCAR beat writer passed away suddenly at the age of 50, and it was impossible to find another NASCAR news site that didn't have concurring opinions.

I'm not in any status to write at length about him, but in the sole meeting we had he proved why all of those kind words came flowing this week. He was approachable, respectful, and in my case, gave a complete stranger the time of day to discuss briefly the future of journalism in NASCAR. Most importantly, the fans lost a huge voice of reason in the ever-muddy world that is NASCAR racing.

In a move of utmost respect this week, NASCAR has asked that all tracks remaining in the 2009 schedule leave an empty seat in the media center each week in memory of Poole, and also several teams will be sporting decals Saturday night in honor of his work and contribution to the sport.

Here's to hoping that his family truly understands our gratefulness for sharing him with us for the last 13 years.

The Prediction

I ripped Denny Hamlin a year ago for his on-track antics that brought out an intentional yellow flag and likely changed the outcome of the race, but in the year since he's showed a better level of maturity (see: Martinsville 2009) and an overwhelming competitive desire to be more than just a has-been in Sprint Cup.

None of that, of course, matters when it comes to predicting Saturday's night's winner other than looking at his stats from a year ago. Hamlin led an astounding 381 of the 407 laps ran a year ago in Richmond before a flat tire stopped his all-but-guaranteed ascent to victory lane. There's no reason to believe he can't do the same tonight at the track that is truly his hometown speedway.

He'll roll off 3rd.

Geoffrey Miller: Denny Hamlin

Closing note: Just realized that this post marks my 1,000th entry to this ever-growing world of FanHouse since my start in March of 2007. FanHouse has grown tremendously and I'm grateful for everyone who has stopped by our little corner of the web to make this successful. It's been one helluva ride, and here's to at least a couple thousand more. Thank you!

Enjoy the race.

FanHouse Warmup: Russ Friedman 400 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 02 May 2009 14:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jimmie Johnson Owns Martinsville Again

FanHouse Newswire — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) - Jimmie Johnson nudged Denny Hamlin aside in the third and fourth turns with 15 laps to go and gave team owner Rick Hendrick a perfect place to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his first victory in NASCAR's premier series: Victory Lane.

Johnson, dubbed "Mr. Martinsville" by Jeff Gordon, lived up to his moniker, winning for the fifth time in the last six races on the smallest, trickiest track in the series. It was his sixth victory at the 0.526-mile oval, second only to Gordon's seven among active drivers.

Hamlin, the defending race champion, never challenged Johnson after he slid high into the banking after the bump and pass, and his winless streak extended to 32 races.

Hamlin finished second, followed by Tony Stewart, Gordon and Clint Bowyer.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Jimmie Johnson Owns Martinsville Again originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Johnson's Bump Earns Martinsville Win

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Sprint Cup, Hendrick Motorsports

Twenty-five years later, Hendrick Motorsports is still on top at Martinsville Speedway after driver Jimmie Johnson bumped his way past Denny Hamlin to secure the win in Sunday's Goody's Cool Orange 500.

On the silver anniversary of the organization's first win by Geoff Bodine in 1984, Johnson went back to a victory lane at the .526-mile paperclip-shaped track that he's quite familiar with. In fact, he's won 5 of the last 6 Sprint Cup Series outings at NASCAR's shortest venue.

Post-event stats will indicate that Johnson was the winner, but the No. 48 didn't find the lead until lap 430 of the 500-lap event. Early on, Johnson was forced to pit road on two of the first three cautions for adjustments to his car's handling.

Hamlin regained the lead from Johnson on a restart on lap 456 after the No. 11 got a great jump on the restart. Hamlin's Toyota jumped to the inside of Johnson's Chevrolet entering turn one, slammed on the brakes and made the move stick to take the lead.

Johnson, though, got the better of the battle on lap 485 when he made a bold move under Hamlin going into turn three. Hamlin tried to close the door by taking the inside lane, but Johnson was already there. The contact nearly spun out both cars as each driver chased his car up the track while still vying for the lead. By the time they returned to the checkered flag, Johnson had the lead and Hamlin couldn't catch back up.

For Hamlin, the 500-lapper marked the second straight week that his No. 11 Toyota finished second. Still, he wasn't bitter about Johnson's move.

"I would have done the same thing to him and believe me I will if it comes back around," said Hamlin. "That's short track racing."

Tony Stewart scored a third-place finish and could have made more had he been closer to the Johnson/Hamlin contact that allowed him to close up on the leaders. The race was easily his best race as a car owner of the new Stewart-Haas Racing with teammate Ryan Newman finishing 6th.

Pole-sitter Jeff Gordon had the car to beat early, but his car ended up being too tight and wouldn't turn as the race wore on, keeping him winless since October 2007 despite leading most of the early parts of the race. Clint Bowyer wound up 5th.

Johnson's win was the 18th victory for Hendrick Motorsports at Martinsville and all four of the HMS cars finished inside the Top-10 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 8th after two weeks of crew chief controversy and Mark Martin in 7th after starting 34th.

Last week's winner Kyle Busch continued what has been a dismal recent history at the flat short track. The No. 18 suffered a flat tire during a green flag run and he wound up 24th, two laps down. If he doesn't win Monday's rain-postponed Camping World Truck Series race at the same track, it'll mark the first time in 2009 he didn't leave a race weekend with a trophy in hand.

Johnson's Bump Earns Martinsville Win originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyle Busch, Gibbs Finally Win at Bristol

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:14:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Bristol Motor Speedway, Joe Gibbs Racing

It's been a long time coming for Joe Gibbs Racing at Bristol Motor Speedway, but Sunday afternoon driver Kyle Busch dusted off a tough run of bad luck for the team at the track to score his second victory of 2009 in the Food City 500.

Seeing a car from the Joe Gibbs Racing stable up front at NASCAR's most infamous short track is nothing new.

Pit road problems, late-race crashes, fuel pick-up issues and Carl Edwards all haunted the JGR organization for the past two years has allowed another team to find victory lane at the east Tennessee half-mile.

Busch scored his second win of the season -- one that's just five races old -- by not only leading some 378 of 503 laps, but by easily holding off teammate Denny Hamlin on a green-white-checkered restart after the pair's other teammate Joey Logano lost an engine with less than 10 laps to go.

The caution forced the race to go extra distance to ensure a green flag finish, and the two-lap dash wasn't even close as Busch crossed the finish line four-tenths of a second ahead of Hamlin.

"You can never ask a race track to pay you back," said Busch in victory lane.

The Hendrick Motorsports duo of Jimmie Johnson (third) and Jeff Gordon (fourth) followed closely behind the Gibbs bunch with Richard Petty Motorsports' Kasey Kahne taking fifth. Pole-sitter Mark Martin struggled early but made gains throughout the race to solidify his spot in the coveted Top-35 with a sixth-place finish.

Martin now heads to next week's race in Martinsville, Va., with a guaranteed starting spot.

Ryan Newman led 25 laps early and finished seventh, Jeff Burton was eighth, Juan Pablo Montoya picked up his second-career short track Top-10 in ninth and Australian Marcos Ambrose was a consistent fixture in the Top-10 until a slight engine problem slowed his advance. Regardless, Ambrose ended up 10th.

"I just feel like I'm breaking through -- got the shackles off," said Ambrose, in his first full Sprint Cup season.

Roush Fenway Racing's day at Bristol was quite a struggle with Carl Edwards -- second in last season's point standings by a narrow margin -- the only driver to finish in the Top-25 with a 15th-place finish.

Stay with FanHouse for more updates from NASCAR's day on the high banks of Bristol.

Kyle Busch, Gibbs Finally Win at Bristol originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Similar Circles for Super Bowl, NASCAR

Holly Cain — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Michael Waltrip, Daytona Int'l Speedway, Joe Gibbs Racing

During a January preseason test session at Daytona International Speedway 15 years ago, I asked NASCAR Cup driver Mark Martin who he thought would win the Super Bowl, which was only a couple days away.

"Who's in the Super Bowl?'' was his reply.

And to be fair -- in those humble days well before NASCAR's growth spurt -- most NFL players probably couldn't name a race outside of NASCAR's Super Bowl, the Daytona 500 or a stock car driver other than Richard Petty.

But those times are long gone and it speaks as much to how far NASCAR has evolved as to how popular the Super Bowl has become.

NASCAR is no longer the forgotten Southern stepchild of professional sports. The redneck stereotype is outdated and short-sighted and some of stock car's best are sharing the weekend Super Bowl spotlight right alongside the biggest names in sports and entertainment.

Three-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champ Jimmie Johnson co-hosts a celebrity golf tournament with music star Nick Lachey on Saturday in Tampa. Former Cup Rookie of the Year, Kasey Kahne will be at A-list parties courtesy of his race team sponsor, Budweiser.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has appeared in a Super Bowl commercial. A few years ago Jeff Gordon got major television air time as cameras showed him catching the game from a luxury suite.

And then there's the ultimate gridiron transcender Joe Gibbs, who won three NASCAR championships as a team owner and three Super Bowl titles from his days leading the Washington Redskins.

The crossover works both ways.

In fact, NASCAR has amassed an elite and impressive club of former NFL players who have owned race teams including four NFL Hall of Fame quarterbacks -- Dan Marino, Roger Staubach Troy Aikman and Terry Bradshaw.

New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss currently fields a championship-caliber team in the Camping World Truck Series.

This week, some opportunistic NASCAR public relation managers offered up their drivers' Super Bowl picks.

They ranged from Denny Hamlin's predictable "The Steelers have a great D. ... but I would take the Cardinals and the points" to Australian Marcos Ambrose's, "I have to go for the Cardinals because of Ben Graham, their punter. He's Australian."

Two-time Daytona 500 champ Michael Waltrip has an honest take, "All my friends are Pittsburgh Steelers fans, so I hope the Cardinals win. Plus, I love Kurt Warner because he's old like me.''

And there's this pick from Matt Kenseth which seems interestingly self-reflective:

"I'm going with the Cardinals. ... they may not have gotten the respect, but they have the big wins to prove they belong there.''

At least the racers know who's playing.

And vice versa.

Similar Circles for Super Bowl, NASCAR originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'08 Rear-View Mirror: Denny Hamlin

Geoffrey Miller — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:44:00 EST

Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Sprint Cup, Joe Gibbs Racing

Warning: Objects in this post may be the only way to successfully live through the NASCAR off-season. For best results, read rearview mirror early and often.

Driver: Denny Hamlin
Team: No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
'08 Final Standing: 8th (-470)
Best Race: Martinsville (1st)
Worst Race: Dover (43rd-place)

Season in a box: Nothing out of the ordinary and nothing too incredible are a few words that seem to summarize Denny Hamlin's 2008 Sprint Cup season.

Hamlin got his lone win of 2008 early on after the Joe Gibbs Racing switchover to Toyota in offseason when the series came to Hamlin's home state track in Martinsville, Va. Hamlin started 2nd that day and led over 80 laps in what looked like the start of something quite successful for Hamlin's 2008 campaign. Just a week earlier, Hamlin had been leading late at Bristol when a fuel pressure problem dropped him to a sixth-place finish.

The rest of the season didn't go exactly as planned after the strong finishes on the brief short-track swing. Hamlin found the Top-5 a total of 12 times -- a respectable figure -- in 2008, but bad luck and other mechanical problems nearly wiped the No. 11 out of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. In fact, an irritated Hamlin said that at his team's current performance in Michigan in August, they "didn't deserve to be in the Chase."

The words lit a fire in the team as Hamlin railed off three third-place finishes in-a-row to secure a Chase spot. The No. 11 could never quite keep up with the Chase's front-runners, however, and a 38th at Kansas and a 39th at Talladega thanks to a hard crash ended his championship hopes.

Through the crystal windshield: Hamlin made quite the interesting point during December's Sprint Cup awards banquet that he will now be the oldest driver at Joe Gibbs Racing thanks to the departure of Tony Stewart. Hamlin, entering just his fourth year in the Cup competition, will have plenty of support however from teammate Kyle Busch and young gun Joey Logano.

The Virginia driver has found a great spot in the Sprint Cup garage with undoubtedly some of the best equipment available at JGR. He's got the talent to win with it and crew chief Mike Ford will be returning again to steer from the pit box.

Hamlin should easily find himself in the Chase for the Championship, but as we've learned, teammate Busch isn't the only driver at JGR that gets a little too heated under the collar at times for his own on-track good. When Hamlin controls that effectively, look for a lot more consistency.

Next up: Jeff Gordon

'08 Rear-View Mirror: Denny Hamlin originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tire Problems Bite Several 'Dega Contenders

Geoffrey Miller — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:17:00 EST

Filed under: Brian Vickers, David Reutimann, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Talladega Superspeedway, NASCAR Crashes, Sprint Cup

Whether or not they suffered a tire problem on their own car, several Sprint Cup drivers and teams felt the effects of multiple tire issues during Sunday's AMP Energy Drink 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

The first problem struck on lap 53 on the backstretch of the 2.66-mile circuit when Michael Waltrip Racing's David Reutimann spun sideways after the right-rear tire exploded on the No. 44 Toyota. Directly behind him, Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon swerved to miss the spinning Reutimann and caught the nose of Jon Wood, sending the front-end of the No. 24 in to the wall.

The impact for Gordon sent him behind the wall for cosmetic, suspension, and radiator repairs. He would return after about 30 laps, but the car that had looked quite competitive early in the event later lost an engine while trying to make up points.

Reutimann never went a lap down in the incident, but later suffered electrical problems while running in the Top-10.

The next tire issue creeped up at the least favorable spot on-track as Brian Vickers also suffered an exploding tire -- though this time it was on the right-front -- while running at the front of the lead pack as it entered the tri-oval.

Vickers' Toyota shot up the track, collected Martin Truex Jr., and set off a melee on lap 68 that included David Gilliland, Kasey Kahne, Mike Skinner, Terry Labonte, Jamie McMurray, Tony Raines and Aric Almirola.

The incident brought out a lengthy red flag to clean up the big mess that stopped on the exit of the tri-oval.

Mike Wallace, driving a one-race effort in the No. 33 of Richard Childress Racing, suffered the next failure while running in the Top-10 on lap 81 and brought out a caution for debris, though he managed to not lose control of the Chevrolet.

Denny Hamlin, as of 22 laps to go in the race, was the last victim of a tire issue, and he likely suffered the biggest hit, as he was transported to the hospital after smacking the turn 2 wall by himself while leading.

Tire Problems Bite Several 'Dega Contenders originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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