Denny Hamlin dies but wins!

Call him “Mr. Martinsville.” Yesterday, Denny Hamlin won his second consecutive victory on the Virginia oval, the ninth of his career, after a race initially scheduled for Sunday, but postponed due to rain.

Thanks to a tire change on the 493rd lap, a strategy worthy of the Johnson-Knaus duo, the American driver managed to get rid of Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon to cross the finish line as the winner? with a flat wheel, just ahead of his teammate Joey Logano, also well back in the wake of his Joe Gibbs Racing friend.

It all came down to the final loops. Then leader, Jeff Gordon was preparing to pass under the white flag announcing to the drivers that they were entering the last lap. But a few seconds before, Busch and Menard touched each other, causing a yellow flag to come out, calling everything into question. Denny Hamlin, then fourth, then did the job taking full advantage of the efficiency of his almost new tires. Ultimately the unfortunate Gordon finished third, ahead of Martin Truex Jr and Ryan Newman.

The anecdote will remember that Denny Hamlin, injured in the knee (sequence of a baseball match two months ago), was forced to postpone his operation scheduled for yesterday, Monday. It was a good thing for him, given the results of the test. In the general classification, Jimmie Johnson leads (already) ahead of Greg Biffle and Math Kenseth. Next event on April 11 in Phoenix.