Denny Hamlin ended a sophomore slump of sorts when he won the rain delayed Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. The win was Hamlin's first of the season and broke a 50 race winless streak. His last victory had come in 2008 at Martinsville Raceway.
After the race, an emotional Hamlin dedicated the victory to his grandmother who passed away late last week at the age of 91. His grandmother reportedly followed his career closely and watched every race:
She understands the competition of the sport and she understands how much she means to me. Like today, she's pretty proud. We definitely had some angels with us today."
Hamlin has always raced well on the unique triangle configuration track at Pocono. He swept both races here as a rookie in 2006 and after the race his boss J.D. Gibbs made note of that fact:
I told him earlier, we're going to lobby for a few extra races at Pocono"
Hamlin is now fifth in the NASCAR championship points standings after the victory. Tony Stewart increased his lead over Jimmie Johnson to 197 points with a 10th place finish.
Montoya finished second, and now stands in 8th place in the overall points standings. Clint Bowyer finished third and expressed pleasure with the solid performance in his postrace comments:
"Things haven't been going our way all year long so it feels good to have something swing our way.
Former Indy Car driver Sam Hornish, Jr. took fourth. Kasey Kahne rounded out the top five.
Points leader Stewart will have a good opportunity to increase his lead this weekend, as NASCAR heads to Watkins Glen, NY to race on the road course there. Stewart is considered not only the best road course driver among current NASCAR competitors, but arguably the best of all time. - 42634
After the race, an emotional Hamlin dedicated the victory to his grandmother who passed away late last week at the age of 91. His grandmother reportedly followed his career closely and watched every race:
She understands the competition of the sport and she understands how much she means to me. Like today, she's pretty proud. We definitely had some angels with us today."
Hamlin has always raced well on the unique triangle configuration track at Pocono. He swept both races here as a rookie in 2006 and after the race his boss J.D. Gibbs made note of that fact:
I told him earlier, we're going to lobby for a few extra races at Pocono"
Hamlin is now fifth in the NASCAR championship points standings after the victory. Tony Stewart increased his lead over Jimmie Johnson to 197 points with a 10th place finish.
Montoya finished second, and now stands in 8th place in the overall points standings. Clint Bowyer finished third and expressed pleasure with the solid performance in his postrace comments:
"Things haven't been going our way all year long so it feels good to have something swing our way.
Former Indy Car driver Sam Hornish, Jr. took fourth. Kasey Kahne rounded out the top five.
Points leader Stewart will have a good opportunity to increase his lead this weekend, as NASCAR heads to Watkins Glen, NY to race on the road course there. Stewart is considered not only the best road course driver among current NASCAR competitors, but arguably the best of all time. - 42634
About the Author:
Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.
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