NSCS Recap: Denny Hamlin Fends Off Jimmie Johnson At Martinsville

Denny Hamlin wins MartinsvilleDenny Hamlin celebrates winning the TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. The victory was the second of Hamlin’s career at Martinsville. (Photo credit: CIA Stock Photo)
By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

MARTINSVILLE, Va.—Denny Hamlin may have won the Virginia campaign with a victory Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, but Jimmie Johnson moved ever closer to a record fourth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship with a runner-up finish at the .526-mile short track.

In a green-white-checkered-flag finish that ended under caution with John Andretti wrecked at the finish line, Hamlin pulled away from Johnson over the final two laps of the Tums Fast Relief 500. As the cars roared off Turn 4 on Lap 501—one lap beyond the scheduled distance—NASCAR simultaneously displayed the yellow and checkered flags when Andretti was unable to drive away.

Continue reading “Race Recap: Hamlin Wins, Johnson adds points”

RACE RECAP | MARTINSVILLE
Denny Hamlin wins Pocono10 Tony Stewart
9 Kevin Harvick
8 Mark Martin
7 Jamie McMurray
6 Ryan Newman
5 Jeff Gordon 4th straight top 5
4 Kyle Busch
3 Juan Pablo Montoya continues his solid runs
2 Jimmie Johnson increases his points lead to 118

VICTORY LANE

1 Denny Hamlin led the most laps on his way to picking up his 3rd win of 2009 and his first ever Chase Race win.

OTHER STORIES ON THE DAY

-Caution #1: A small wreck featuring Marcos Ambrose, Robby Gordon, and Matt Kenseth

-Caution came out for Michael Waltrip’s spin, Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. got together on pit road

-60 laps in, Chad Knaus came on the radio and said “we have a new leader…the 48”

-Dale Earnhardt Jr. pounded the wall with a flat right front

-Kasey Kahne had a dismal day finding the wall a couple of times

-Scott Speed wrecked himself with 6 laps to go, probably forgot this wasn’t an F1 car

NNS Recap: Aggressive Keselowski Taking Home Elvis
Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

Brad Keselowski wins MemphisMEMPHIS, Tenn.— An aggressive Brad Keselowski won his fourth NASCAR Nationwide Series race of the season, banging his way to victory in the Kroger On Track For The Cure 250 at Memphis Motorsports Park on Saturday afternoon.

Keselowski was involved in at least three incidents in the race, the last when he bumped Carl Edwards with a handful of laps remaining.

Keselowski then got the lead when he whipped past the front row of Michael Annett and Tony Raines on a restart with 12 laps to go. He then held off NASCAR Nationwide points leader Kyle Busch on a green-white-checkered restart to secure the win.

Keselowski picked up an extra $75,000 from Nationwide as part of its Dash 4 Cash program. He won a $25,000 bonus for winning the race and $50,000 for scoring the most points in the four Dash 4 Cash races.

Continue reading “Brad Keselowski wins aggressive Memphis NNS race”