Although he didn’t win on Sunday, Jimmie Johnson continued his death grip on the top spot in the Power Rankings with his second-place finish at Martinsville.
Fast forward to Sunday’s return to the track in the shadow of the Blue Ridge and there’s three words that sum up where we are: Jimmie flipping Johnson.
The usual suspects played “follow the leader” at Martinsville in what proved to be a fairly competitive race.
This week, here’s a sneak peek at what they all were thinking following the TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.
3 – number of times winner Denny Hamlin led the TUMS Fast Relief 500 Sunday.
Denny Hamlin held off charges by Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Juan Pablo Montoya during a flurry of late-race restarts to claim another win at Martinsville.
Not only has the Chase overshadowed Hamlin’s successful weekend, it’s condensed the final 10 races into a select few, predetermined storylines.
In the end it was Virginia-native Denny Hamlin who was able to hold off Johnson on a green/white/checkered finish to score his third win of 2009.
This week it’s a trip to the famed Martinsville Speedway, where the only thing more famous than the hot dogs is the close-quarters racing.
NASCAR came home for the only night race of the playoffs Saturday, overseeing a coronation of the Lowe’s Motor Speedway “King” for the first time in four years.