Racetrack Insider - News and Views of the Motorsports Industry from Insiders Drew Patey and Buddy Judy

Virginia Native Hamlin Wins at Martinsville

Denny Hamlin, who hails from Richmond, Virginia, beat Sprint Cup Series leader Jimmie Johnson on Sunday at the NASCAR race at Martinsville. Hamlin, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, dominated the second half of the race just as Johnson had dominated the first half. The other competitors were left to fight for third place. The race saw its share of cautions as teams tried everything to fight for track position. The stand out driver again this weekend was Juan Pablo Montoya, who led 37 laps and scored a solid third place finish. Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch fought for the fourth and fifth place as the race came down to the green-white checkered finish. Jamie McMurray showed that he can still drive after finishing sixth. He is searching for a sponsor and a ride for next year. Safety-Kleen's Ryan Newman, driving for Stewart-Haas, sat on the pole and scored a seventh place followed by Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and Safety-Kleen's Kevin Harvick. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had another disappointing day as he cut a tire down twice and went two laps down finishing in 29th. Johnson now leads Mark Martin by 118 points as the series heads to Talladega for the restrictor plate race on the 2.66 mile oval next Sunday. A special thanks goes to Steve Keller and Chris from the Vinton, VA branch for all the help at Martinsville this weekend, especially on Friday and Saturday in the rain.