Hamlin drives from last to victory lane at Chicagoland
Two laps into the myAFibRisk.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday afternoon and it couldn’t have looked any less likely that Denny Hamlin could conceivably end up much of a decent result in the first week of the Chase, let alone an all-access pass to victory lane.
Restarts were the key, and the story of the race, Sunday and no one restarted better than Denny Hamlin.
NOTES: Kyle Larson pulled NASCAR triple-duty at Chicagoland Speedway, running the Camping World Truck Series race and Xfinity Series race, in addition to Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race.
If Harvick isn’t able to win or run well over the next two weeks he could be one of the first four drivers knocked out of the Chase. As he tried to get back on the track, he made contact with Harvick. It happens, and unfortunately Kevin got a tire rub out of that. “He was trying to pin me down and I’ve got to get back up or else there would be a hell of a mess in Turn 1”. When you are in his position, you want to get the inside auto in a bad angle so they have to lift. Past year he triumphed in a must-win situation at Phoenix before taking the checkered flag at Homestead to secure his first premier series title.
Not a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered playing basketball just days before the regular-season finale. “I was fine with lifting, but I had to get back on the race track, so I worked my way back up on the track”.
Johnson wasn’t surprised to hear of Harvick’s anger following the race. “We had about a 15th place vehicle all day”. Fellow Chase contenders Jamie McMurray (Ganassi) and Paul Menard (RCR) both finished a lap off the lead in 16th and 17th positions while Clint Bowyer (Michael Waltrip Racing) was a further lap down in 19th.
Average Speed of Race victor : 140.117 miles per hour .
After the first caution, the race ran green for 117 laps before the second yellow flag on lap 122.
Lap Leaders: K. Harvick 1-5; J. Logano 6; M. Truex Jr.
Kurt Busch, who was headed for the win until the final caution was called with 10 laps remaining, was third.
Top 16 in Points: M. Kenseth – 2,052; D. Hamlin – 2,050; C. Edwards – 2,049; Kyle Busch – 2,049; Kurt Busch – 2,048; J. Logano – 2,048; J. Johnson – 2,045; R. Newman – 2,040; B. Keselowski – 2,039; D. Earnhardt Jr.
Kyle Busch (18) drives past Kevin Harvick (4) during the NASCAR…
Gordon’s gambit of staying out under the final caution backfired and the #24 dropped to 14th by the finish despite leading for 41 laps during the latter stages of the race. Now the drivers at risk of being eliminated are McMurray, Menard, Bowyer and Harvick.