Spoiler Alert: Hamlin Wins Fifth Race of 2010 June 14, 2010
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Denny Hamlin's won five of the last 10 races since NASCAR reverted to the spoiler earlier this season. Photo courtesy NASCAR.
Denny Hamlin must like NASCAR’s new spoiler.
When NASCAR made the switch from the rear wing back to the spoiler for the Sprint Cup Series in March, Hamlin won the first race at Martinsville, and so far, has four more wins, including the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway Sunday. That’s five wins in the past 10 races – the most Hamlin’s ever won in his Sprint Cup career, now in its fifth full-time year.
Like last week at his win at Pocono, Hamlin dominated throughout the race, this time leading 123 of 200 laps at the two-mile track.
“All we do is win, baby – two in a row,” Hamlin said over the radio to his crew, a mantra that’s been the theme to the No. 11 team’s 2010 campaign. (more…)
Logano vs. Harvick Spices Up Hamlin’s 4th Career Pocono Win June 7, 2010
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Joey Logano tries to save his Home Depot Toyota from spinning out after making contact with Kevin Harvick's No. 29 Chevrolet. Photo courtesy NASCAR.
A funny thing happened on Denny Hamlin’s way to cruising to his fourth victory at Pocono Raceway. His teammate Joey Logano finished 13th, but picked up a bunch of new fans.
The fireworks at the end of Pocono Sunday between Logano and Harvick are some of the best NASCAR’s seen in a while. The post-race antics are the latest byproduct of NASCAR’s new “Have at it boys” mentality that’s led to more driver confrontation and has spiced things up in this year’s Sprint Cup season.
Rain at the start of the race led to an hours-long delay. But once the green flag finally waved, Hamlin led 88 of 204 laps, continuing his trend of schooling the field at NASCAR’s only triangle-shaped track. But with four laps to go, the front of Harvick’s car hit the rear of Logano’s coming out of turn three, sending Logano spinning. He almost saved his car from spinning out, a testament to the talent of the second-year driver and his future in the sport. (more…)
One Busch Wins, Another Fumes May 23, 2010
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Sparks were flying on track after Kyle Busch wrecked, but the sparks were flying even higher in the garage after the All Star race. Photo courtesy NASCAR.
Kurt Busch took home the checkered flag and a million dollar payday at NASCAR’s All-Star race, celebrating with his “unwind” victory lap. But it was his younger brother Kyle’s post-race antics garnering all the attention at Charlotte Motor Speedway Saturday night.
Kyle Busch and teammate Denny Hamlin restarted the final segment of the race side-by-side, ready to battle it out between them for the million dollar first place money. As Hamlin tried to keep his lead, he put a block on teammate Busch, cutting off the No. 18 car, who otherwise would have passed the No. 11 car on the outside. (more…)
Hamlin Wins Second Monday Race of 2010 April 19, 2010
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Denny Hamlin crosses the start/finish line to take the checkered flag and win the Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Photo courtesy NASCAR
In the second rained-delayed race of the year, Denny Hamlin – bum knee and all – took his team to Victory Lane at Texas Motor Speedway.
It’s only the second time a Cup race was run on a Monday at the Ft. Worth track and despite the delay, a significant number of fans still attended the event, which featured not only the Cup race, but also Saturday’s rain-delayed Nationwide Series race.
Hamlin held off a charging Jimmie Johnson to take the checkered flag for his second Monday win of the year, the first after having surgery on his left knee to repair a torn ACL. (more…)
In the Desert, Newman Ends Win Drought April 18, 2010
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Ryan Newman, driving the No. 39 Chevrolet, leads Jeff Gordon in the Dupont No. 24 and Mark Martin in the No. 5 Chevy during the green-white-checker finish at Phoenix International Raceway. Photo courtesy NASCAR.
In the seventh race of his second season driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, Ryan Newman returned to Victory Lane, taking the checkered flag at Subway Fresh Fit 600k.
The victory ends a 77-race winless streak for Newman, dating back to his 2008 Daytona 500 win, back when he was behind the wheel of Penske’s No. 12 Dodge.
Newman, who shares the second place spot for most number of poles in a single season (11), held off Jeff Gordon to a two-lap shootout and won at the track where he got his start in the Cup Series.
Kyle Busch dominated the race, leading 113 of 378 laps, tied for the most with Jimmie Johnson. But when the caution came out on lap 372 or the 375 scheduled laps, the field came to the pits for tires. Busch and Johnson came in first and second, respectively, but after both teams took four tires, Johnson came out seventh and Busch eighth. The six cars in front, led by Newman and Gordon, all took two tires. (more…)
As Long as He’s Winning, Martin’s Ok with Points Standing November 6, 2009
Posted by admin in : Uncategorized , 1 comment so farA somewhat emotional Mark Martin reflected on his NASCAR career during a press conference at Texas Motor Speedway.
Martin’s finished second in the points four times in his career, and currently sits second behind teammate Jimmie Johnson. All season long, Martin’s said he’s content not winning a championship, and took the ride in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 car to win races, which he’s done five times in 2009.
“I have learned a lot and I have seen a lot and I have come to realize that I’m no Dale Earnhardt. My record don’t stand up to his…just doesn’t. And when you stand me up against Jeff Gordon…it just don’t stand up to it man. I understand that,” Martin said. (more…)
Johnson Takes Wins, Points Lead at Fontana October 11, 2009
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Jimmie Johnson took the checkered flag and the points lead at the Auto Club Speedway's inaugural Chase race.
And so it begins.
In the Auto Club Speedway’s debut as a Chase track, reigning three-time champ Jimmie Johnson took the checkered flag and took control of the Sprint Cup Series points lead.
It’s the fifth win for the No. 48 team this year, and Johnson’s fourth win at the track.
Johnson led 126 laps, but didn’t seal the deal until he held off the field in a number of double-file restarts that followed a series of wrecks, including an eight-car incident that brought a 22-minute long red flag period with just six laps remaining. (more…)
Stewart Marches Back to Points Lead with Kansas Win October 4, 2009
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Tony Stewart took two tires on the last pit stop to take the checkered flag at Kansas
Tony Stewart lost his position atop the Sprint Cup Series points standing when Mark Martin made the Chase and the field was reset based on wins. But he made some progress in fighting his way back to the top by winning at Kansas.
A quick pit stop put Stewart out front at the end of the race, and the No. 14 cut his deficit from 106 points to 67 in the Sprint Cup points standings with his fourth win of the season.
“He’s like that. He’s a little gutsy. That’s a good thing,” Stewart said of crew chief Darian Grubb’s decision to take two tires on the last caution. “You don’t question him; you just know it’s the right thing to do.” (more…)
2009 Chase Field is Set September 13, 2009
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The top 12 drivers who will race for the Sprint Cup championship.
As Virginia native Denny Hamlin celebrated his first win at Richmond International Raceway, 11 other drivers celebrated making the cutoff for the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
The Chase field is set, and in a season that’s been marked by economic turmoil, eight different organizations have drivers in the field of 12 that will battle for the 2009 Sprint Cup.
Last year, four teams – Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing – dominated the Chase field, each putting three drivers in the Chase. But the number of teams in the Chase doubled in 2009, thanks in no small part to the testing ban NASCAR enacted before the start of the 2009 season. (more…)
Stewart wins again at Waktins Glen August 10, 2009
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Tony Stewart won his fifth career race at Watkins Glen, the most of any Cup Series driver.
Tony Stewart avoided a six-car accident in the closing laps to take a series-record fifth career win at the Watkins Glen road course and strengthen his position as the Cup Series points leader.
It was Stewart’s third win of 2009 and the first-year car owner continues to surprise the NASCAR world with his dominating success.
“[T]here’s something about this place that we’ve been really good,” Stewart said. “I know what fuel I need when we get here.”
NASCAR road racing is just as much about fuel mileage as it is the driver’s ability to master the track’s left and right turns. (more…)