Federated Auto Parts 400 result: Denny Hamlin wins at Richmond
By Ted Fleming
The Chase bubble bursts for Ryan Blaney, Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne as the Round of 16 is set for the final ten races of the Sprint Cup season that begins next week in Chicago. But it was Newman’s comments about his old boss that stole the show.
Denny Hamlin held off Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr. in overtime to win his third race of the 2016 Sprint Cup regular season at Richmond International Raceway, just 15 miles from where he grew up. It is the fourth time in his career he has won at least three times.
Larson, who went 99 races before recording his first career victory, made a late charge by passing Truex although Hamlin had opened up too big a lead for him to make up enough ground over the final two laps.
Truex raced up front most of the evening and was seeking to go back-to-back for the first time in his career. Unfortunately a couple of big mistakes, a bad pit stop and a speeding penalty, took its toll.
So the field is set for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Truex, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Kyle Larson, Tony Stewart and Chris Buescher make it in with wins, while Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon and Jamie McMurray round out the Field of 16 on points.
For most of the race Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. were the class of the field doing battle for the lead. The rest of the night it was a mix of one car incidents that brought out yellow flags, however, a big crash at lap 363 took out seven cars, including Chris Buescher and Ryan Newman.
For Buescher it was a blessing in disguise because David Ragan, who he was battling to stay in the top-30 in points in order to qualify for the Chase with one win, was also involved and that clinched his spot in the Field of 16.
“This is awesome,” said Buescher. “All the cheers we got after we got out of the car. We have all the sponsors and employees from CSX here tonight. It is the home track for them so to be able to do this tonight with them here is awesome. They were cheering like we won a race or something. It wasn’t anything like winning a race but it is just as big in a difference sense. I knew we could get here. I knew we had a good shot at it.”
Buescher’s team, Front Row Motorsports, will be making its first Chase appearance.
It was just the opposite for Newman. He began the night 22 points out of the final Chase spot and the crash eliminated any chance of him making it. He would have needed Buescher to fall out of the top-30 in points in order for him to him to make it on points, or somehow manage to pull off a win to get in.
It was a bit of a desperation race for the Richard Childress Racing driver because he was twice penalized for infractions during the season adding up to 25 points lost. Newman, who used to drive for Tony Stewart at Stewart Haas Racing, was not happy after the crash and he unloaded on his old boss who he believed ended his Chase hopes.
“The No. 14 (Tony Stewart) cut across my nose into Turn 1 and I got into him after that, but he’d already chopped into me and messed up my line and I clipped him a little bit coming off of (Turn) 2; but he just cut across my nose. Going down the back straightaway there, I guess he thought he was in a Sprint Car again; did not know how to control his anger. But, it’s just disappointing that you’ve got somebody old like that, that should be retired the way he drives. It’s just ridiculous. I only hit him in Turn 1 when he cut across my nose. So, I don’t think there was any reason other than him just being bipolar and having anger issues. Google Tony Stewart; you’ll see all kinds of things he’s done. Look it up. YouTube and everything else. Quite the guy.”
Next: Best NASCAR Championship Seasons
RACE NOTES:
Cautions/Laps – 16/89
Lead Changes / Leaders – 21/7
Cars on Lead Lap at Finish – 24
PIT NOTES:
It was Fan Appreciation weekend at Richmond and before drivers took the green flag, all cars lined up four abreast, 10 rows deep in a salute to those in attendance. Pit crew members also held up signs thanking fans as the cars passed by.
Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott made the Chase becoming just the second and third rookies to turn the trick. The only other first year driver to do it was Denny Hamlin in 2006.
Ryan Blaney, who had an outside shot of making the Chase, saw his chances disappear just 11 laps into the race when he smacked the wall from a flat tire after making contact with Trevor Bayne.
“I don’t really know what happened to be honest with you,” he said. “I thought I was clear. It looked like we were clear and could get down. The 6 got us in the left rear pretty good and it eventually cut our rear tire down. I don’t know. I have to see it but I thought I was clear and he didn’t think the same way. It is an unfortunate race deal.”
Kasey Kahne needed some help to make the Chase on points or an outright win to make it, however, he failed to qualify despite a solid race finishing sixth. He twice finished fourth (spring race at Richmond and at Dover) and was coming off a seventh last week at Darlington.
Danica Patrick had her third best finish of the season (15th) following a 13th at Dover and 14th at Louden.
CAUTIONS:
Lap 11 – Ryan Blaney hits wall. No free pass.
Lap 85 – AJ Allmendinger spins out. Paul Menard gets free pass.
Lap 95 – Chase Elliott hits wall. Chris Buescher gets free pass.
Lap 201 – Jimmie Johnson hits wall. Paul Menard gets free pass.
Lap 222 – Debris on track. Kyle Larson gets free pass.
Lap 245 – David Ragan flat and front end damage. Ryan Newman gets free pass.
Lap 265 – Paul Menard crashes. Chase Elliott gets free pass.
Lap 279 – Casey Mears spins out. Tony Stewart gets free pass.
Lap 291 – Michael Annett hits wall. AJ Allmendinger gets free pass.
Lap 321 – Carl Edwards spins out. Brian Scott gets free pass.
Lap 328 – AJ Allmendinger hits wall. David Ragan gets free pass.
Lap 336 – Matt Kenseth hits wall. Dylan Lupton gets free pass.
Lap 346 – AJ Allmendinger gets hit twice, spins out. Dylan Lupton gets free pass.
Lap 353 – Matt DiBenedetto hits wall. AJ Allmendinger gets free pass.
Lap 363 – CRASH – RED FLAG: Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, David Ragan, Carl Edwards, AJ Allmendinger, Chris Buescher and Brian Scott involved. Reed Sorenson gets free pass.
Lap 399 – Regan Smith spins out (Sets race mark for cautions). Dylan Lupton gets free pass.
FEDERATED AUTO PARTS 400 FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Denny Hamlin
2 – Kyle Larson
3 – Martin Truex Jr.
4 – Brad Keselowski
5 – Kevin Harvick
6 – Kasey Kahne
7 – Jamie McMurray
8 – Kurt Busch
9 – Kyle Busch
10 – Joey Logano
11 – Jimmie Johnson
12 – Michael McDowell
13 – Austin Dillon
14 – Trevor Bayne
15 – Danica Patrick
16 – Jeff Gordon
17 – Aric Almirola
18 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
19 – Chase Elliott
20 – AJ Allmendinger
21 – Casey Mears
22 – Clint Boyer
23 – Greg Biffle
24 – Chris Buescher
25 – Dylan Lupton
26 – Reed Sorenson
27 – Jeffrey Earnhardt
28 – Ryan Newman
29 – Regan Smith
30 – Josh Wise
31 – Michael Annett
32 – Carl Edwards
33 – Tony Stewart
34 – David Ragan
35 – Brian Scott
36 – Landon Cassill
37 – Matt DiBenedetto
38 – Matt Kenseth
39 – Ryan Blaney
40 – Paul Menard