( More Photos from Kansas Speedway )
It was Denny Hamlin’s day in the sun.
Taking advantage of changing conditions Sunday at Kansas Speedway, Denny Hamlin held off Martin Truex Jr. over the final 30 laps to win the STP 400, his second victory of the season, his first at the 1.5-mile track and the 19th of his career.
Race Story: Greg Biffle wins heated battle against Johnson for Texas victory
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — In the wake of a controversial late-race caution, Ryan Newman spoiled an afternoon of Hendrick hegemony with an opportunistic victory in the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.
Martinsville Speedway NASCAR Sprint Cup photos
After Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson dominated the action for 497 laps, an untimely caution flag flew on Lap 497 and sent the race to overtime, after David Reutimann stalled on the frontstretch.
Gordon and Johnson stayed out on old tires as the lead-lap cars behind them came to the pits for tires and fuel. On the restart on lap 504, Clint Bowyer took Johnson and Gordon three-wide into the first corner, and all three cars spun, ruining a potential 200th victory party for Hendrick Motorsports.
Team Chevy Drivers Occupy Three of the Top-5 Starting Positions For Sunday’s Race
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Kasey Kahne No. 5 Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet, earned his second straight pole in NASCAR Sprint Cup series (NSCS) competition in the past four weeks, and fifth top-10 start in 2012, by capturing the top spot in today’s qualifying session at the .586-mile Virginia short track. It was Kasey’s 24th career Coors Light Pole Award but was his first career NSCS pole at Martinsville Speedway in 17 races.
A total of 46 cars took turns at the front row for Sunday’s race and when the 43-car field was set, Chevy drivers took the front row and three of the top-5 starting spots for the 500-lap race. Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser is Back Chevrolet, held the top spot until being bumped by Kahne by a mere 0.016 seconds. It is the best qualifying effort (barring events where the race was set by points) since Phoenix International Raceway in November of 2006 for Harvick. It was also his fourth top-10 start of 2012.
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FONTANA, Calif. — Tony Stewart made all the right moves Sunday at Auto Club Speedway, and the last one proved decisive in taking the three-time champion to Victory Lane in the rain-shortened Auto Club 400.
After raindrops slowed the race on Lap 124, Stewart, the race leader, faked a move toward pit road but stayed on the track and matched the pace car’s speed of 65 mph, a far cry from the lightning-fast laps he ran under the green flag.
But that move — staying out and running slow caution laps before NASCAR stopped the race on Lap 129 — proved decisive for the defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, who claimed his second victory of the season, his second at Fontana and the 46th of his career, tying him with Buck Baker for 14th on the career victory list.
