Move over Talladega — Michigan International Speedway deserves some of the spotlight now. NASCAR’s fastest non-restrictor plate track took a step up with the assistance … Continue Reading
Key Moment – On lap 137, Brad Keselowski, who was already six laps down thanks to an incident with Danica Patrick on lap 14 while going for the lead, … Continue Reading
Some drivers just sneak up on you, and so far in 2014, Brian Vickers has been one of those drivers. He’s quietly put together some strong runs, including his fourth-place finish in Talladega this week. Vickers wasn’t totally stealthy on Sunday; he did lead three times during the race. The No. 55 team does still have some holes to patch (they’re not yet consistent enough to be a title threat), but Vickers sits 10th in points. That’s ahead of race winners Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch, as well as three-time champion Tony Stewart and teammate Clint Bowyer. Vickers still needs to win to lock down a Chase spot, but he’s making a case for that happening.
President Obama’s statement last week declaring Jimmie Johnson to be “the Michael Jordan of NASCAR” got me to wondering: are there no other stock car … Continue Reading
Key Moment – As Joey Logano came out of turn 4, heading to the flagstand for the white flag, Kurt Busch’s car that had lost a … Continue Reading
Key Moment – When five drivers lost tires between laps 193 and 197, a caution finally came out. All of the lead lap cars except … Continue Reading
It may not have affected everyone, but Denny Hamlin’s sinus infection certainly impacted the No. 11 team, who had to make a driver change at the 11th hour as Hamlin was transported to a local hospital for evaluation. Sam Hornish Jr. was already on hand for Matt Kenseth, whose wife Katie is due to give birth to the couple’s third child, but wound up in Hamlin’s seat instead after doctors advised the driver to sit the race out. His vision was getting affected, to the point he failed a “follow the finger” test and was actually losing sight in one eye.
He didn’t quite have what it took to get by Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the trifecta, but Denny Hamlin was stellar throughout Speedweeks, winning the Sprint Unlimited and his Budweiser Duel before coming home second in the 500. Hamlin, who also finished 2013 with a win at Homestead, is trying to bounce back from a back injury suffered in a crash at Auto Club Speedway last season. Hamlin made the decision not to have surgery on his back after fracturing a vertebra in the incident, and many questioned his decision as he struggled for most of the season following a return to the seat.
Denny Hamlin won the first two segments of the race and, even though he was at the back of the pack late in the event, was still the car to beat. Hamlin grabbed the lead for good on lap 74 and held off a charge by Brad Keselowski to claim his second Sprint Unlimited victory.
Denny Hamlin’s Sprint Cup season will be officially interrupted. After an evaluation by Dr. Jerry Petty, in North Carolina Tuesday Joe Gibbs Racing announced Hamlin … Continue Reading