Backstretch Motorsports

Denny Hamlin won the Lipton Tea 250, his sixth victory in 97 NASCAR Nationwide Series races. Hamlin scorres his first victory at his ‘hometown’ track and fourth top-10 finish in seven races at Richmond International Raceway.

This is his first victory and fourth top-10 finish in six races in 2008. He became the third different driver to win for Joe Gibbs Racing this season – all three have won at least one race in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kevin Harvick (second) posted his sixth top-10 in eight races this season and his 11th in 15 races at Richmond.

Kyle Busch (third) posted his sixth top-10 finish in 11 races this season. It is his sixth top-10 finish in nine races at Richmond.

Bryan Clauson (21st) was the highest finishing rookie and posted his best finish in two races at Richmond.

Clint Bowyer maintains the NNS points lead by 9 markers over Carl Edwards.

With fresh tires on his No. 20 Toyota, Virginia native Denny Hamlin blew past Kevin Harvick on Lap 242 and weathered a green-white-checkered-flag restart to win Friday night’s Lipton Tea 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway.

Hamlin had opened a lead of more than two seconds over Harvick, before Bryan Clauson’s spin on Lap 247 brought out the eighth and final caution, necessitating the two-lap dash that took the race three laps beyond its posted distance of 250 laps.

Hamlin finished .790 seconds ahead of Harvick, who fell just short in trying to win his first race in his own car. Harvick, Carl Edwards and Mike Bliss had stayed on the track under caution on Lap 237, while Hamlin came in for new tires.

Kyle Busch rallied from a lap down to finish third, after trading shots with Steven Wallace on the final lap to hold the position. David Ragan surged past Wallace to come home fourth, and Wallace held on to fifth position. David Stremme, Edwards, Bliss, Clint Bowyer and Scott Wimmer completed the top 10.

Harvick’s crew chief, Wally Rogers, called his driver into the pits on Lap 237, but Harvick saw in his mirror that Edwards and Bliss were staying up on the track and made an impromptu call to stay out.

“I’ve been caught on both sides of that, but it only cost us one spot,” Harvick said. “I was pitting, until I saw the 60 (Edwards) and the 1 (Bliss) behind him stay up. I figured more cars would stay out.”

Harvick beat Edwards off pit road on Lap 144 under caution for David Reutimann’s spin in Turn 2, a mishap instigated by a tap from Sam Hornish’s Dodge. Harvick kept his No. 33 Chevrolet in front through two more caution periods until Derrike Cope’s spin on the frontstretch brought out the sixth yellow flag of the race.

Harvick retained the lead until Hamlin passed him on Lap 242.

After their last-lap fracas, Busch and Wallace traded barbs on pit road.

“He’s a boy trying to play it in a man’s sport,” Busch said.

“If he’s going to say stuff like that, he can come and say it to my face,” retorted Wallace, who grabbed Busch’s facemask when Busch confronted him while Wallace was seated in his No. 66 Chevy after the race.

“If you grab the bull, you’re going to get the horns,” Busch added in his post-race press conference.

Race Results
Richmond International Raceway
Lipton Tea 250
UNOFFICIAL
Fin Str Car Driver Team Lap Pts BPts Status TLd LLd
1 3 20 Denny Hamlin Z-Line Designs Toyota 253 190 5 Running 1 12
2 6 33 Kevin Harvick Rheem Chevrolet 253 175 5 Running 1 98
3 25 32 Kyle Busch Hass Avocados From Mexico 253 165 Running
4 9 6 David Ragan Discount Tire Ford 253 160 Running
5 23 66 Steve Wallace Atreus Homes & Communities 253 155 Running
6 14 64 David Stremme Atreus Homes & Communities 253 150 Running
7 2 60 Carl Edwards Save-a-Lot Ford 253 156 10 Running 1 126
8 12 1 Mike Bliss Miccosukee Resorts Chevrolet 253 142 Running
9 5 2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevrolet 253 138 Running
10 10 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevrolet 253 134 Running
11 33 88 Brad Keselowski NAVY/Blue Angels Chevrolet 253 130 Running
12 7 17 Matt Kenseth CitiFinancial Ford 253 127 Running
13 18 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Toyota 253 124 Running
14 1 9 Kasey Kahne Lipton Dodge 253 126 5 Running 1 17
15 28 12 Sam Hornish, Jr Penske Truck Rental Dodge 253 118 Running
16 11 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 253 115 Running
17 20 25 Bobby Hamilton Jr. Peanut Shop of Williamsburg Ford 253 112 Running
18 8 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 252 109 Running
19 15 11 Jason Keller America’s Incredible Pizza 252 106 Running
20 24 47 Kelly Bires Clorox Ford 252 103 Running
21 16 40 Bryan Clauson # Fastenal Dodge 252 100 Running
22 4 70 Mark Green ForeTravel Chevrolet 251 97 Running
23 13 5 Landon Cassill # National Guard Chevrolet 251 94 Running
24 26 22 Johnny Sauter Supercuts Dodge 251 91 Running
25 17 59 Marcos Ambrose Kingsford Hickory Charcoal Ford 251 88 Running
26 19 27 Brad Coleman Huggies/Kroger Ford 250 85 Running
27 39 81 D.J. Kennington Vector Security Dodge 250 82 Running
28 29 89 Morgan Shepherd Victory in Jesus Racing Dodge 250 79 Running
29 27 61 Kevin Lepage Ford 249 76 Running
30 35 92 Brian Keselowski # Dodge 249 73 Running
31 31 01 Kertus Davis RACEGIRL Chevrolet 248 70 Running
32 30 24 Eric McClure Hefty Brand Chevrolet 247 67 Running
33 38 52 Derrike Cope Chevrolet 246 64 Running
34 42 4 Robert Richardson Jr. JVC Chevrolet 243 61 Running
35 43 76 Ryan Hackett JandRsupply.com Ford 243 58 Running
36 34 05 Brett Rowe 31W Insulation/CertainTeed 240 55 Running
37 21 28 Kenny Wallace U.S. Border Patrol Chevrolet 207 52 Running
38 22 31 Jeff Green Key Motorsports/JMI Signs 162 49 Electrical
39 36 37 Burney Lamar Ford 55 46 Ignition
40 32 02 Andy Ponstein Stotts Classic Racing Chevrolet 18 43 Engine
41 41 0 Danny Efland Lori Morgan, LLC Chevrolet 16 40 Engine
42 37 90 Johnny Chapman Chevrolet 8 37 Brakes
43 40 91 Kenny Hendrick Ford 6 34 Vibration

Race Comments: Before an estimated crowd of 70,000 - Denny Hamlin won the Lipton Tea 250 - his sixth NASCAR Nationwide Series victory. Prior to the green flag the following drivers dropped to the rear for the reasons indicated: #76 Hackett (missed drivers meeting); # 88 Brad Keselowski (unapproved impound adjustment).
Failed to Qualify: (1) 57 Chad Beahr.
Time of Race: 01 Hrs, 58 Mins, 18 Secs. Average Speed: 96.238 MPH Margin of Victory: 0.789 Seconds
Caution Flags: 8 for 41 laps: Laps: 67-73 (#05 spun frontstretch); 80-85 (Debris); 143-147 (#99 spun turn 2); 159-163 (#9 accident turn 2); 168-171 (#9 accident turn 2); 229-234 (#52 accident frontstretch); 236-239 (#76 accident frontstretch); 248-251 (#40 spun backstretch).
Lead Changes: 3 among 4 drivers: K. Kahne 1-17; C. Edwards 18-143; K. Harvick 144-241; D. Hamlin 242-253.
Top 10 Driver Points: (1) C. Bowyer 1,565;(2) C. Edwards 1,556;(3) Ky. Busch 1,553;(4) D. Ragan 1,434;(5) M. Bliss 1,424;(6) D. Reutimann 1,407;(7) B. Keselowski 1,382;(8) J. Leffler 1,342;(9) M. Wallace 1,297;(10) D. Stremme 1,177.
Coors Light Pole Award : Kasey Kahne, #9 (125.127 mph) Featherlite “Most Improved Driver” : Johnny Sauter, #22 (18 Places)
Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race : Denny Hamlin, #20 Mobil 1 Oil Command Performance : Kyle Busch, #32
Raybestos “Rookie of the Race” : Bryan Clauson, #40 Sunoco Diamond Performance : Denny Hamlin, #20
Next Race: May. 9, 2008 - Darlington Raceway