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Sunday, 19 June 2011 02:39 |
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Page 1 of 6  On Sunday at the Michigan International Speedway, Denny Hamlin drove to his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory of the year, holding off Matt Kenseth after both drivers appeared headed for a fuel mileage finish, a late caution enabled them to make pit stops before a furious final five lap sprint.
Though Hamlin's win might not cause anybody in the Cup garage any serious concern, and having faced questions two days previously about unauthorized auto parts and possible penalties, it went a long way to prove you can't count out the driver of #11 Toyota from Chesterfield, Virgina.
"I feel like over the last six to seven weeks, we've been as good as anyone. One win is not going to put you in, necessarily. It might if you're still high up in points. But we know two wins pretty much puts you in. From here on out, we know we're one win away from having a Chase spot. We got a win. That's very uplifting for me to win when you don't necessarily have the best car all day, but you have the car good at the end when it really counts," Hamlin said.
Hamlin's crew chief, Mike Ford: "It speaks volumes to the experience and resilience of this 11 car that you can start the week off with a down note and put that behind you and make sure that it doesn't affect what's getting ready to happen. This team usually comes out swinging when its back's against the ropes. Sometimes we connect and sometimes we get dotted in the eye."
After finishing 39th at Fontana with engine issues, Hamlin has steadily improved from 21st to ninth in the points, finally cashing in after almost coming close to victory in every race since running out of gas on the final lap at Charlotte while chasing Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Michigan was definitely different for the #11 team as the weekend started with NASCAR confiscating the team's unapproved oil pan, and Hamlin, the defending race winner, didn't do anything to indicate that he would be in the thick of things when the chequered flag was dropped.
"We weren't super fast in practice, we weren't super fast in qualifying. We just kind of were average in a lot of different areas. Even during the race, for three quarters of the race we were average, but we stepped up there at the end," Hamlin said.
What he termed as a 'magic adjustment' by crew chief Mike Ford which turned out to be exactly what his car needed, Hamlin explained: "We were so loose all day long, we couldn't do anything to tighten it up. We finally hit it about 70 laps to go. We started making our way back forward again. We were 15th to 10th all day long and just couldn't get past that point, until we got some clean air and a good adjustment, then our car looked like a race winning car. That's usually some of the best ways to win them, is when people don't expect you to and haven't seen you all day."
Hamlin had been conserving fuel, but coming out first after the final two tire stops, brought on by a caution when Earnhardt went into the wall on Lap 191, allowed him to get by Matt Kenseth on the restart and eventually win by 0.281 of a second.
"Obviously when that caution came out and it put us in the top five, then I think it was for us to say, 'OK, now let's see what our car's got.' We started making ground about 100 laps to go and were running top five times. That put an equalizer right there, as soon as that caution flag flew, to let us see what kind of car we had. Obviously, the last couple runs, we were able to hang right there at the front. It's just things worked out for us today.
"My goal is still to get in the top five in points. If I wouldn't have dug us such a big hole at the beginning of the year, we really could be possibly fighting for trying to lead the points going into the Chase, but we just started so far behind, it's going to be tough to do that. My realistic goal is top five in points, I don't have to worry about any kind of wild cards once we get to Richmond," Hamlin concluded.
Securing Joe Gibbs Racing two of the top three spots, despite the team being told to change oil pans before Friday's practice, Kyle Busch took the chequered flag in third.
NASCAR said oil pans from cars driven by Hamlin, Busch and Joey Logano were not submitted for approval before opening day inspection with the team possibly facing additional penalties this week.
Race Fast Facts provided by NASCAR Statistics
Michigan International Speedway - 43rd ANNUAL HELUVA GOOD! SOUR CREAM DIPS 400
Race Winner: Denny Hamlin
Age: 30
Team: #11 - FedEx Office Toyota
Owner: J.D. Gibbs
Crew Chief: Mike Ford
- Denny Hamlin won the 43rd ANNUAL HELUVA GOOD! SOUR CREAM DIPS 400, his 17th victory in 202 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
- This is his first victory and sixth top 10 finish in 2011. His last victory came at Texas last November, 16 races ago.
- This is his second consecutive spring race victory and seventh top 10 finish in 11 races at Michigan International Speedway.
- Matt Kenseth (second) posted his 15th top 10 finish in 24 races at Michigan International Speedway. It is his eighth top 10 finish in 2011.
- Kyle Busch (third) posted his fourth top 10 finish in 13 races at Michigan International Speedway.
- Carl Edwards leads the point standings by 20 points over Kevin Harvick.
Race comments:
Before a crowd estimated at 88,000, Denny Hamlin won the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400, his 17th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. Prior to the green flag, the following car dropped to the rear for the reason indicated: No. 20 (engine change).
Failed to Qualify: (3) 37 Tony Raines, 92 Brian Keselowski #, 60 Mike Skinner(i).
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 36 Mins, 50 Secs.
Average Speed: 153.029 MPH
Margin of Victory: 0.281 Seconds
American Ethanol Green Flag Restart Award: Matt Kenseth, #17
Coors Light Pole Award: Kurt Busch, #22 188.699 mph
DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Race: Matt Kenseth, #17 cc J. Fennig
Goodyear Gatorback Fastest Lap: Greg Biffle, #16 183.575 mph, Lap 13
Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race: Mark Cronquist, #11
Mobil 1 Driver of the Race: Ryan Newman, #39
Moog Chassis Parts Problem Solver of the Race: Carl Edwards, #99 Osborne, -0.101 sec
O'Reilly Auto Parts Position Improvement Award: Kyle Busch, #18 21 places
Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Andy Lally, #71 (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
Caution Flags:
5 for 18 laps: Laps: 9-11 (#48 spin backstretch [None]); 28-30 (Debris [48]); 85-88 (#2 accident turn 1 [34]); 160-163 (#42, 71 accident turn 4 [16]); 192-195 (#88 accident turn 2 [43]).
Lead Changes:
21 among 12 drivers: Kurt Busch 1-8; R. Newman 9-11; Kurt Busch 12; G. Biffle 13-27; M. Bliss(i) 28; C. Mears 29; G. Biffle 30-55; M. Kenseth 56; G. Biffle 57-62; C. Edwards 63; G. Biffle 64-71; M. Kenseth 72-84; Kyle Busch 85; B. Labonte 86; G. Biffle 87-99; Kyle Busch 100-121; K. Harvick 122; P. Menard 123-124; Kyle Busch 125-160; M. Kenseth 161-163; C. Edwards 164-192; D. Hamlin 193-200.
Top 12 Driver Points:
(1) C. Edwards 532;(2) K. Harvick 512;(3) D. Earnhardt Jr. 505;(4) Kyle Busch 503;(5) J. Johnson 503;(6) M. Kenseth 491;(7) Kurt Busch 491;(8) R. Newman 456;(9) D. Hamlin 455;(10) C. Bowyer 455;(11) T. Stewart 454;(12) J. Gordon 438.
Michigan International Speedway - Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 race results:
| Pos. |
Started |
N° |
Driver |
Car |
Sponsor |
Pts/Bns |
Laps |
Status |
| 1 |
10 |
11 |
Denny Hamlin |
Toyota |
FedEx Office |
47/1 |
200 |
Running |
| 2 |
3 |
17 |
Matt Kenseth |
Ford |
Crown Royal |
43/1 |
200 |
Running |
| 3 |
24 |
18 |
Kyle Busch |
Toyota |
Snickers |
42/1 |
200 |
Running |
| 4 |
9 |
27 |
Paul Menard |
Chevrolet |
Pittsburgh Paints / Menards |
41/1 |
200 |
Running |
| 5 |
23 |
99 |
Carl Edwards |
Ford |
Aflac "Now Hiring" |
40/1 |
200 |
Running |
| 6 |
13 |
39 |
Ryan Newman |
Chevrolet |
U.S. Army 236th Birthday / Bud Moore NASCAR Hall of Fame |
39/1 |
200 |
Running |
| 7 |
6 |
14 |
Tony Stewart |
Chevrolet |
Office Depot / Mobil 1 |
37/0 |
200 |
Running |
| 8 |
27 |
33 |
Clint Bowyer |
Chevrolet |
Cheerios / Hamburger Helper |
36/0 |
200 |
Running |
| 9 |
19 |
5 |
Mark Martin |
Chevrolet |
GoDaddy |
35/0 |
200 |
Running |
| 10 |
4 |
83 |
Brian Vickers |
Toyota |
Red Bull |
34/0 |
200 |
Running |
| 11 |
1 |
22 |
Kurt Busch |
Dodge |
Shell / Pennzoil |
34/1 |
200 |
Running |
| 12 |
12 |
51 |
Landon Cassill |
Chevrolet |
Thank A Teacher Today / Security Benefit |
0 |
200 |
Running |
| 13 |
26 |
43 |
A.J. Allmendinger |
Ford |
Best Buy |
31/0 |
200 |
Running |
| 14 |
22 |
29 |
Kevin Harvick |
Chevrolet |
Budweiser |
31/1 |
200 |
Running |
| 15 |
7 |
16 |
Greg Biffle |
Ford |
American Red Cross / 3M |
31/2 |
200 |
Running |
| 16 |
17 |
21 |
Trevor Bayne |
Ford |
Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center |
0 |
200 |
Running |
| 17 |
31 |
24 |
Jeff Gordon |
Chevrolet |
Drive to End Hunger |
27/0 |
200 |
Running |
| 18 |
30 |
20 |
Joey Logano |
Toyota |
The Home Depot |
26/0 |
200 |
Running |
| 19 |
14 |
1 |
Jamie McMurray |
Chevrolet |
McDonald's |
25/0 |
200 |
Running |
| 20 |
20 |
6 |
David Ragan |
Ford |
UPS "We Love Logistics" |
24/0 |
200 |
Running |
| 21 |
15 |
88 |
Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
Chevrolet |
Amp Energy / National Guard |
23/0 |
200 |
Running |
| 22 |
16 |
47 |
Bobby Labonte |
Toyota |
RainEater / Advance Auto Parts |
23/1 |
200 |
Running |
| 23 |
18 |
9 |
Marcos Ambrose |
Ford |
Dewalt |
21/0 |
200 |
Running |
| 24 |
33 |
31 |
Jeff Burton |
Chevrolet |
Caterpillar |
20/0 |
200 |
Running |
| 25 |
41 |
2 |
Brad Keselowski |
Dodge |
Miller Lite |
19/0 |
200 |
Running |
| 26 |
11 |
56 |
Martin Truex Jr. |
Toyota |
NAPA Auto Parts |
18/0 |
199 |
Running |
| 27 |
21 |
48 |
Jimmie Johnson |
Chevrolet |
Lowe's / Kobalt Tools |
17/0 |
199 |
Running |
| 28 |
8 |
4 |
Kasey Kahne |
Toyota |
Red Bull |
16/0 |
199 |
Running |
| 29 |
40 |
34 |
David Gilliland |
Ford |
Taco Bell |
15/0 |
199 |
Running |
| 30 |
25 |
42 |
Juan Montoya |
Chevrolet |
"Cars 2" |
14/0 |
199 |
Running |
| 31 |
28 |
38 |
Travis Kvapil |
Ford |
Fellowship of Christian Athletes |
0 |
199 |
Running |
| 32 |
35 |
32 |
Mike Bliss |
Ford |
blu Cigs |
0 |
199 |
Running |
| 33 |
5 |
78 |
Regan Smith |
Chevrolet |
Furniture Row Companies |
11/0 |
199 |
Running |
| 34 |
42 |
36 |
Dave Blaney |
Chevrolet |
Tommy Baldwin Racing |
10/0 |
198 |
Running |
| 35 |
2 |
0 |
David Reutimann |
Toyota |
Aaron's Dream Machine |
9/0 |
180 |
Running |
| 36 |
36 |
71 |
Andy Lally * |
Ford |
Interstate Moving Services |
8/0 |
155 |
Accident |
| 37 |
37 |
7 |
Robby Gordon |
Dodge |
Speed Energy / Walgreens |
7/0 |
80 |
Vibration |
| 38 |
39 |
13 |
Casey Mears |
Toyota |
GEICO |
07/1 |
51 |
Electrical |
| 39 |
34 |
46 |
J.J. Yeley |
Chevrolet |
Red Line Oil |
5/0 |
47 |
Brakes |
| 40 |
29 |
87 |
Joe Nemechek |
Toyota |
NEMCO Motorsports |
0 |
44 |
Vibration |
| 41 |
32 |
30 |
David Stremme |
Chevrolet |
Inception Motorsports |
3/0 |
39 |
Clutch |
| 42 |
43 |
181 |
Scott Riggs |
Chevrolet |
WhitneysCollision |
0 |
30 |
Brakes |
| 43 |
38 |
66 |
Michael McDowell |
Toyota |
HP Racing LLC |
1/0 |
28 |
Electrical |
* Rookie
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