Hamlin Blows into Kansas Sprint Cup Victory Lane

Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

Completing back-to-back on 1.5-mile ovals, the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series transitioned from the Saturday night Texas Motor Speedway event to the Sunday afternoon day on the Kansas Speedway. The 8th race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Greg Biffle has shown early race championship form leading the points heading in the STP 400. Noteworthy in the Sprint Cup driver's points standings was the effort of Michael Waltrip Racing's Martin Truex Jr who has installed himself into the tight top-5 battle after 7 races.

The Penske Racing #22 Dodge of AJ Allmendinger led the 43-car field to the green flag at Kansas Speedway controlling the event with the lead for the first 44 laps until the first round of pit stops under green. After two laps where the #11 of Denny Hamlin and the #99 of Carl Edwards collected a point for leading a lap, the leader of the STP 400 was the #56 Toyota of Martin Truex Jr. While the race's first yellow flag flew for the #15 car of Clint Bowyer spinning as he attempted to enter pit lane, none of the lead pack of stock cars decided to pit during the break in the racing action. When the green flag was thrown, Truex Jr rocketed away as he asserted himself as a dominate force with his Michael Waltrip Racing car. Similar to the previous Texas Motor Speedway race, the 400-mile event at Kansas Speedway would only see 18 laps of caution as the yellow flag became a rarely-seen sight during the STP 400.

Photo Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Despite the great positioning, the pole-sitting car and driver would incur a mechanical issue shortly after the race's restart robbing the #22 Penske Racing team of a top finish. On lap 60, Allmendinger reported an engine problem that would be associated with his car falling 1.3 seconds off the pace with the stock car field. The #22 car circulated slowly until the a caution for debris on lap 133. Requiring a change to the electronic fuel injection's ECU, mechanics were able to return Allmendinger to the race track to finish the STP 400. The #22 Dodge finished the race in 32nd place ultimately 10 laps down to the leader.  

Photo Credit: Brian Czobat / autostock ©

The driver of the #22 Dodge for Penske Racing last season before a dramatic removal from the team after the season finale at Homestead, Kurt Busch had a strong run for much of the Kansas Speedway race for Phoenix Racing. Starting 14th, Kurt Busch had has #51 Chevrolet in the top-10 for much of the STP 400. However, a power loss from his Hendrick Motorsports engine dropped him to finish 17th in the event.

With trouble plaguing the customer of Hendrick Motorsports' engines, one of the race operation's immediate teams suffered turmoil. In position for a steady top-10 finish, inaugural NASCAR Cup series winner at the Kansas Speedway Jeff Gordon suffered late-race engine woes. Wounded, the #24 car did finish the STP 400 three laps down in 21st spot. “We lucked out in some ways, I feel like, by finishing 21st. It could have been a lot worse. We struggled today. We missed the set-up. And we were still going to finish 7th or 8th. So I think that says a lot about our race team. But yeah, we obviously had a valve spring I believe, something in the valve train that broke." commented Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Chevrolet.

Photo Credit: Russell LaBounty/Autostock Courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports

Leading 173 laps up to the 236th circuit around the Kansas Speedway, Martin Truex Jr had held off all comers with exception of Joe Gibbs Racing's #11 Toyota piloted by Denny Hamlin. Capitalizing on less than ideal set of tires that Truex Jr reported through his last race stint, Hamlin reeled in the #56 car and stole the lead on lap 237 (Reminiscent of the moment where Biffle past Johnson at Texas 8 days before). While Denny Hamlin claimed the lead, Martin Truex Jr fought hard to position himself for a late race fight for the race win. With three laps remaining, the #56 Toyota stormed through turn 3 underneath the #11 car but lacked speed through turn four. Well in control of car, the move was Truex Jr's most ambitious attempt at a second-career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win. Despite great efforts of the #56 Michael Waltrip Racing car, Denny Hamlin had the edge at the end of 267 laps to win the STP 400.

A 2nd win for the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and driver Denny Hamlin early in this 2012 season, the victory at Kansas Speedway was the first for the Toyota car make. As Martin Truex jr came across the finish line second, the Japanese brand took the top-two positions after 400 miles combining to lead 205 of the race's 267 laps.

Photo Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR

While Martin Truex Jr came the closest ever for a win with Michael Waltrip Racing, his team cars suffered engine troubles. Clint Bowyer's #15 Toyota was parked after just 125 laps in the 267-lap event while the #55 Aaron's car driven by Mark Martin was forced out of the race with only a handful of laps to go foiling a top-10 run. Michael Waltrip Racing affiliate JTG Daughterty Racing also saw their #47 Toyota piloted by Bobby Labonte suffer a dramatic engine blow-up during the STP 400's second caution period.

For the second 1.5-mile track in a row, the #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet appeared to be in position for the 200th win for his car owner. Into the late stage of the STP 400, it appeared that Jimmie Johnson was in position to spoil the battle between the Toyotas at the front. While fast on many occasions, the #48 Chevrolet was never able to mount a solid challenge on the #11 or #56 Toyota. "Just wish we had a little bit more today, and be in victory lane.” said Jimmie Johnson still searching for his first victory of 2012. Despite missing out on victory, the STP 400 did produce top-10 race results for 3 of Hendrick Motorsports' Chevrolets. Behind Johnson's 3rd place, the #88 car of Dale Earnhardt Jr finished 7th and Kasey Kahne completed a second-straight event in the top-10 with an 8th.

Roush Fenway Racing had a solid outing as the Ford of Matt Kenseth finished 4th ahead of NASCAR Sprint Cup point leader and teammate Greg Biffle. The #99 Ford of Carl Edwards rallied from 21st to 9th over the 400-mile event.

Next for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is a Saturday night event at the 3/4-mile short track of Richmond International Raceway.


2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup
STP 400
Kansas Speedway
Race Results

Pos #	Car #	Driver	Sponsor/ Car Make
1	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Ground Toyota
2	56	Martin Truex Jr.	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
3	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's Chevrolet
4	17	Matt Kenseth	Ford EcoBoost Ford
5	16	Greg Biffle	3M Novec 1230 Ford
6	29	Kevin Harvick	Rheem Chevrolet
7	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet
8	5	Kasey Kahne	Farmers Insurance Chevrolet
9	99	Carl Edwards	Aflac Ford
10	18	Kyle Busch	M&M's Toyota
11	2	Brad Keselowski	Miller Lite Dodge
12	42	Juan Pablo Montoya	Target Chevrolet
13	14	Tony Stewart	Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet
14	1	Jamie McMurray	McDonald's Chevrolet
15	20	Joey Logano	The Home Depot Toyota
16	9	Marcos Ambrose	DeWalt Ford
17	51	Kurt Busch	Phoenix Construction Services, Inc. Chevrolet
18	27	Paul Menard	Menards/Zecol Chevrolet
19	12	Sam Hornish Jr.	SKF Dodge
20	39	Ryan Newman	Haas Automation Chevrolet
21	24	Jeff Gordon	Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet
22	31	Jeff Burton	Caterpillar Chevrolet
23	43	Aric Almirola	STP Ford
24	78	Regan Smith	Furniture Row/Farm American Chevrolet
25	93	Travis Kvapil	Burger King Real Fruit Smoothies Toyota
26	13	Casey Mears	GEICO Ford
27	38	David Gilliland	Front Row Motorsports Ford
28	32	Reed Sorenson	@TMone We Drive Sales/FAS Lane Ford
29	10	David Reutimann	Accell Construction Chevrolet
30	34	David Ragan	Barrett-Jackson Ford
31	49	JJ Yeley	JPO Absorbents Toyota
32	22	AJ Allmendinger	AAA Dodge
33	55	Mark Martin	Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota
34	83	Landon Cassill	Burger King Real Fruit Smoothies Toyota
35	47	Bobby Labonte	Reese Towpower Toyota
36	15	Clint Bowyer	5-hour Energy Toyota
37	36	Dave Blaney	Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
38	30	David Stremme	Inception Motorsports Toyota
39	26	Josh Wise	Morristown Driver's Service Ford
40	98	Michael McDowell	Curb Records Ford
41	87	Joe Nemechek	AM/FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Toyota
42	19	Mike Bliss	Humphrey Smith Racing LLC Toyota
43	23	Scott Riggs	North TX Pipe Chevrolet

 

Carl Edwards Captures Phoenix Sprint Cup Race Pole

Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/ Getty Images for NASCAR

The second to last race in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway will be highlighted by a tight three-driver points battle for the championship. After 8 races in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup, Denny Hamlin holds a 33-point advantage on reigning champion Jimmie Johnson. Only 59 points out of the lead, Kevin Harvick (who led the points for much of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season leading up to the Chase) is still well within striking range of the Sprint Cup championship.

With 46 cars vying for the 43 positions during Coors Light Pole qualifying at Phoenix International Raceway, Carl Edwards emerged in the late proportion of the time trial session to obtain his 3rd 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup pole. Piloting his #99 Roush-Fenway Racing-backed Ford Fusion, the effort of Edwards defeated fellow Ford camp occupant AJ Allmindinger's #43 car. Lapping the one-mile desert oval in a record time of 26.395 seconds, Carl Edwards' margin of pole victory over the #43 Ford was just 0.027 of a second. 

As Allmendinger shot around the one-mile oval, he provided the second straight week for where a Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) Ford will start on the front row of the NASCAR Sprint Cup main event. Leading off with Elliott Sadler's pole at the last race in Texas, this late season performance is for sure offering a much-needed morale boost for the troubled race organization. The entire week leading up to Phoenix has been consumed with innuendo and rhetoric on the state of RPM believing the team is week-to-week. While plans for the 2011 season is still a big question mark for what form RPM will take in NASCAR Sprint Cup, the team has assured NASCAR fans their four-car stable will be present for the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In a press release, AJ Allmendinger bid strong kudos to the team behind his #43 Ford. “No matter what happens I’m just proud of everybody at Richard Petty Motorsports. There’s no secret of what we’re going through right now and it’s a tough time. All the crew guys here and all the guys at the shop listening and watching, they’re amazing people because it could easily tear this team apart." Allmendinger said.

Coming close to victory at Texas Motor Speedway last week, the Roush-Fenway Racing's #16 car driver Greg Biffle placed 4th fastest on the day to present three Fords in the top-4. Breaking a sweep was Kurt Busch and his #2 Dodge Charger. While Ford again shows some serious speed in qualifying, all four manufacturers were reasonably well represented with Jamie McMarray starting 5th on Sunday in an Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing Chevrolet and a #00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota piloted by David Reutimann 6th.

A one-mile track, Phoenix International Raceway's flat-banking and configuration lends itself in comparison to many smaller tracks which Sprint Cup drivers would cut their racing teeth on as they progressed through the ranks. A few surprise qualifying runs came from some less familiar stars of NASCAR. Starting 8th, Regan Smith and the #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet flew around the Phoenix race track. One position below Smith, Aric Almirola took 9th place in the #9 Ford after only a handful of starts with the Richard Petty Motorsports team. In post race, Almirola commented "I was actually surprised at how fast it went for how bad it drove, to be honest."

As for the three drivers entering the Kobalt Tools 500 under the Chase points microscope, the best effort was posted by top-ranked Denny Hamlin in the qualifying session. Placing 17th in the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for a less than impressive time, Hamlin is starting at least four positions ahead his point rivals. In 21st place, Jimmie Johnson starts in the #48 Chevrolet and the #29 car of Kevin Harvick is seated in 29th place leading up to the flag Sunday. 


2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
Phoenix International Raceway
Kobalt Tools 500
Starting Lineup

1. 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford
2. 43 A J Allmendinger Insignia HDTV Ford
3. 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge
4. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Scotch Ford
5. 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald's Chevrolet
6. 00 David Reutimann TUMS Toyota
7. 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota
8. 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
9. 9 Aric Almirola Budweiser Ford
10. 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota
11. 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Toyota
12. 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
13. 47 Marcos Ambrose Little Debbie/Safeway Toyota
14. 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet
15. 17 Matt Kenseth Valvoline Ford
16. 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Mobil 1 Dodge
17. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Ground Toyota
18. 39 Ryan Newman U.S. ARMY Chevrolet
19. 98 Paul Menard Peak/Menards Ford
20. 14 Tony Stewart Old Spice/Old Spice Chevrolet
21. 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet
22. 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
23. 19 Elliott Sadler Paralyzed Veterans Of America Ford
24. 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota
25. 83 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
26. 09 Bobby Labonte C & J Energy Chevrolet
27. 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota
28. 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
29. 29 Kevin Harvick Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet
30. 12 Brad Keselowski No. 12 Penske Dodge Dodge
31. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Diet Mntn Dew Paint 88/Natl Guard Chevrolet
32. 36 Dave Blaney Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet
33. 26 JJ Yeley Air Guard Ford
34. 7 Robby Gordon Polaris Toyota
35. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet
36. 55 Mike Bliss PRISM Motorsports Toyota
37. 37 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford
38. 38 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford
39. 64 Landon Cassill Empire Steel Toyota 
40. 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
41. 71 Brendan Gaughan South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet
42. 34 Tony Raines A&W All American Food Ford
43. 81 Terry Labonte Red Line Oil Dodge

Winning from Pole, Jimmie Johnson Wins All at Dover

Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR

Entering the AAA 400, Jimmie Johnson's 2010 season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup season has been a roller coaster ride. Five wins prior to the end of June, the four-time Sprint Cup champion and his #48 Hendrick Motorsports team were, at one point, in peril of even making the 2010 Chase for the Cup. Since the July race at Daytona, the #48 Chevrolet had recorded 6 finishes of 22nd or worse. Because of this winless streak starting just before his wife gave birth of his daughter Genevieve Marie, Jimmie Johnson had yet to win a Sprint Cup race as a father.

Collecting his 3rd pole of 2010 on Friday, Jimmie Johnson attacked the one-mile Dover International Speedway prior to the AAA 400 race. Taking the green flag on Sunday, the #48 Lowes Chevrolet led the first 13 laps of the event before fellow front-row starter AJ Allmendinger in the Richard Petty Motorsports #43 Ford assumed the lead at Dover. Between Allmendinger and Johnson, those two drivers would led 334 of the race's 400 laps.

As Allmendinger led the early going of the AAA 400 at Dover, 2008 Dover spring race winner Martin Truex Jr was again showing strength this season in the #56 NAPA Toyota after a 3rd place start. By lap 100, Truex had worked his way into the runner-up place passing Johnson's #48 Chevrolet. Also running well within the first one-quarter of the race event was Juan Pablo Montoya who was maintaining his 5th place starting spot.
A very clean event, the AAA 400 was slowed only 4 times by caution and just one of those cautions was because of an accident. On lap 53, an incident involving the #39 Chevy of Ryan Newman and David Reutimann's #00 Toyota resulted in the Toyota suffering more serious damage than Newman's Chevrolet. With two yellow flags for debris and one for a damaged light, the race's flew through 1/3 distance with Allmendinger hold a lead of more than 4 seconds over second place after lap 150.

Unfortunately, Allmendinger's hopes of victory were thrown off kilter by a mis-timed pit stop on lap 172 when the #43 car driver cited poor handling as the reason to arrive for early service. What made AJ Allmendinger's stop so ill-timed was the debris caution that would slow the field 17 laps later trapping the #43 Ford a lap down in 27th place. Taking advantage of the wave around to get back to the lead lap, Allmendinger and crew worked hard to regain position but would never challenge within the top-five again in the AAA 400. The #43 Ford would come home 10th in the final running order.

Just as Allmendinger's hopes for a Dover victory were ended, Martin Truex Jr would encounter problems shortly afterwards. On lap 208, Truex Jr's day went south when a loose wheel forced the #56 NAPA Toyota to pit road. As the car appears to stall leaving the pits, driver and crew determine a rear axle shaft has broken forcing the Michael Waltrip Racing car to the garage after a spectacular performance in the first half of the AAA 400. Martin Truex Jr would be sent back out on the track to eventually finish at Dover 17 laps down in 34th position.

Photo Credit: Chris Trotman/ Getty Images

Because of the downfall of Allmendinger and Truex Jr, Jimmie Johnson was effectively on easy street with a very fast #48 Chevrolet Impala parading the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway. The Busch brothers did provide an occasional change of scenery. Kurt Busch's #2 Dodge would led for 3 laps while the #18 Toyota of younger Kyle Busch led a 46 lap stint through lap 293 to 338.

At the end, there was no stopping a hungry Jimmie Johnson planting his #48 Chevy into victory lane at Dover. His 6th time winning on the 'Monster Mile', Johnson finished 2.6 seconds ahead of Jeff Burton on the track. In regards to placement within the Chase points, Johnson now finds himself in second place 35 points behind leader Denny Hamlin. Unable to lead a lap at Dover, Hamlin rolled across the line 9th.

As Johnson moved up 4 places in the Chase standings, drivers Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick lost positions on lackluster runs. Though Gordon finished 11th, several Chase contenders leapfrogged the #24 car driver at the end of the 400-mile event. Working harder again because of a weak qualifying spot, Harvick's efforts from 33rd to 15th were not enough to prevent a 3 spot dive.

Joey Logano and Paul Menard, two non-chase drivers, also enjoyed some very respectable finishes in the AAA 400 at Dover. The track where he made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut just a little more than 2 years ago, Logano finished 4th in his #20 Home Depot Toyota. Menard, teammate to longtime race leader AJ Allmendinger with Richard Petty Motorsports, come home 7th leading the team's efforts.

Next for the NASCAR Sprint Cup tour is the Price Chopper 400 at Kansas Speedway with the green flag dropping on Sunday 1 P.M.



2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup
AAA 400
Dover International Speedway
Race Results

Top-10:

Pos #    | Car #     | Driver              | Sponsor/ Car Make

1)            48          Jimmie Johnson        Lowe's/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet
2)            31          Jeff Burton               Caterpillar Chevrolet
3)            20          Joey Logano             Home Depot Toyota
4)              2          Kurt Busch               Miller Lite Dodge
5)             99         Carl Edwards            Aflac Ford
6)             18          Kyle Busch               Interstate Batteries Toyota
7)              98         Paul Menard             Sylvania/Menards Ford
8)              39         Ryan Newman          Haas Automation Chevrolet
9)              11         Denny Hamlin            FedEx Express Toyota
10)            43         AJ Allmendinger         Insignia HDTV Ford


Other Notables:

11)            24          Jeff Gordon               DuPont/Law Enforcement Museum Chevrolet
12)              5          Mark Martin              Delphi/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
14)           42          Juan Pablo Montoya  Target Chevrolet
15)           29           Kevin Harvick          Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet
18)           17           Matt Kenseth           Crown Royal Ford
19)           16           Greg Biffle                3M Ford
21) 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet
23) 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet
25) 33 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevrolet
34) 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Toyota