Denny Hamlin holds of Brad Keselowski for Martinsville Sprint Cup win

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With Brad Keselowski beating a tattoo into his rear bumper, and with his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota sliding sideways as it approached the checkered flag, Denny Hamlin held on to his car and held off Keselowski to win Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

In winning his first race of the season, his fifth at the .526-mile short track and the 25th of his career, Hamlin took the lead for good on lap 473 of 500, passing teammate Matt Kenseth for the top spot. Two laps later, Keselowski surged past Kenseth and tracked down Hamlin, setting up a breathtaking battle in the closing laps. Continue reading

Sprint Cup Series at Martinsville Preview and Fantasy Picks

Zachs-SCS-Preview-Fantasy-Picks

Here are my picks for the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway, on March 28, at 1 pm ET on FOX

Martinsville Fantasy Preview

Contenders

Jimmie Johnson – Very hard to count him out at Martinsville, and has looked very strong so far this weekend. I think he will be a man to beat Sunday and as we all come to know, he usually gets the job done Continue reading

Kasey Kahne Grabs a Win at Atlanta and Punches his Ticket to the Chase

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Kasey Kahne races his way to his first victory of the season and secures his place in the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

With his Chase hopes hanging on a win, Sprint Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne rang the bell for Hendrick Motorsports and his No. 5 team with a victory in the Oral-B USA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday night.

After losing ground on a late caution that set up two green-white-checkered finishes, Kahne threaded the needle between the leader, Matt Kenseth and a hard-charging Denny Hamlin to take a thrilling win. Continue reading

Hamlin Holds onto Late Lead for a Talladega Victory

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When trouble struck as the white flag was waving, Denny Hamlin was in the perfect position. He was out front and stayed there until NASCAR threw the yellow-flag for debris scattered across the frontstretch. This is the No.11 team’s first victory of the season and the one likely providing a Chase birth.

A mix of drivers led the race early. Paul Menard, Danica Patrick, and Jeff Gordon all shared the top spot before the first caution on lap 14. Continue reading

There Was No Denying Kevin Harvick in Phoenix

Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John's Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series The Profit On CNBC 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 2, 2014  Photo - Jerry Markland/Getty Images

Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series The Profit On CNBC 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 2, 2014
Photo – Jerry Markland/Getty Images

There are some days when a driver dominates and then there are some when a driver annihilates the field. Kevin Harvick had a stellar day in the desert on Sunday. Once he got out front early in the event, he didn’t look back for a second. He was able to control the race and at the end of the day, that put him in victory lane for the third time in the last four Phoenix races. His sponsor Jimmy John’s has the catch phrase “freaky-fast” which describes their service, but in this race it was describing the man behind the wheel. Continue reading