-
Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
-
Latest Headlines: NASCAR
-
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
-
Latest Headlines: Moto-Racing
-
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
CUP: Hamlin Wins, All Hell Breaks Loose
Denny Hamlin took over the championship lead in Texas...
Denny Hamlin led the Sprint Cup Series in wins last season. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
This week, SPEED.com counts down the five best NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races of the 2010 season. No. 2 is the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
If you like the wild and the unpredictable, the AAA Texas 500 was the NASCAR Sprint Cup race of the season to watch.
Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton, two of the most mature drivers in all of racing, nearly coming to blows? Check.
Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson switching their entire pit crews mid-race? Check.
Kyle Busch flipping off a NASCAR official? Check.
Race-winning crew chief Mike Ford calling out Hendrick Motorsports? Check.
A 19-year-old rookie scoring a top-20 finish in his first Cup race? Check.
And, last but not least, Denny Hamlin making a late-race charge to victory that appeared to put him in perfect position to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup championship.
Yes, it was that kind of afternoon, a race unlike anything the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has had in, well, maybe forever.
Greg Biffle dominated the first third of the race in his Roush Fenway Racing Ford. But the big story early on was the poor performance of Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports pit crew, which consistently cost the four-time defending champion key positions on the track.
Johnson’s first green-flag pit stop just past the 100-lap mark took 16.5 agonizing seconds, while his competitors were all stopping in the 12.5-13.5 second range.
After Martin Truex Jr. hit the wall a second time to bring out a caution on Lap 152, Johnson had another disastrous pit stop, falling from sixth to 13th.
On Lap 159, Kyle Busch spun in the middle of Turn 4 to bring another yellow out. Busch was held for a lap for speeding on pit road. He showed his displeasure with an upraised middle finger to a NASCAR official, earning another two laps in the penalty box for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Then things got positively chaotic.
On Lap 191, Truex crashed on the backstretch to bring out another caution. Under caution, Burton drilled Gordon hard, sending the No. 24 Hendrick Chevrolet nose first into the wall. That led to an angry confrontation on the backstretch, Gordon shoving Burton a couple of times before cooler heads prevailed.
“That kind of stuff is just ridiculous and uncalled for,” Gordon said afterward. “Jeff and I — I just like the guy too much and we'll be able to go on and race one another and stuff like that. I just couldn't believe how much respect I lost for a guy like Jeff to do something like that. I thought it was really stupid. Sometimes I can't hold my emotions back and believe it or not I was holding them back right there.”
“I knew he was going to be mad and I don't blame him for being mad,” added Burton, who took responsibility for the incident. “He didn't do anything that he shouldn't have done. He was upset and he should have been upset. I wrecked him under caution. I didn't mean to wreck him but I wrecked him under caution. He meant to tell me he was upset and that was OK. I don't have a bit of problem with what he did. He was mad. He should have been mad.”
If you like the wild and the unpredictable, the AAA Texas 500 was the NASCAR Sprint Cup race of the season to watch.
Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton, two of the most mature drivers in all of racing, nearly coming to blows? Check.
Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson switching their entire pit crews mid-race? Check.
Kyle Busch flipping off a NASCAR official? Check.
Race-winning crew chief Mike Ford calling out Hendrick Motorsports? Check.
A 19-year-old rookie scoring a top-20 finish in his first Cup race? Check.
And, last but not least, Denny Hamlin making a late-race charge to victory that appeared to put him in perfect position to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup championship.
Yes, it was that kind of afternoon, a race unlike anything the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series has had in, well, maybe forever.
Greg Biffle dominated the first third of the race in his Roush Fenway Racing Ford. But the big story early on was the poor performance of Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports pit crew, which consistently cost the four-time defending champion key positions on the track.
Johnson’s first green-flag pit stop just past the 100-lap mark took 16.5 agonizing seconds, while his competitors were all stopping in the 12.5-13.5 second range.
After Martin Truex Jr. hit the wall a second time to bring out a caution on Lap 152, Johnson had another disastrous pit stop, falling from sixth to 13th.
On Lap 159, Kyle Busch spun in the middle of Turn 4 to bring another yellow out. Busch was held for a lap for speeding on pit road. He showed his displeasure with an upraised middle finger to a NASCAR official, earning another two laps in the penalty box for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Then things got positively chaotic.
On Lap 191, Truex crashed on the backstretch to bring out another caution. Under caution, Burton drilled Gordon hard, sending the No. 24 Hendrick Chevrolet nose first into the wall. That led to an angry confrontation on the backstretch, Gordon shoving Burton a couple of times before cooler heads prevailed.
“That kind of stuff is just ridiculous and uncalled for,” Gordon said afterward. “Jeff and I — I just like the guy too much and we'll be able to go on and race one another and stuff like that. I just couldn't believe how much respect I lost for a guy like Jeff to do something like that. I thought it was really stupid. Sometimes I can't hold my emotions back and believe it or not I was holding them back right there.”
“I knew he was going to be mad and I don't blame him for being mad,” added Burton, who took responsibility for the incident. “He didn't do anything that he shouldn't have done. He was upset and he should have been upset. I wrecked him under caution. I didn't mean to wreck him but I wrecked him under caution. He meant to tell me he was upset and that was OK. I don't have a bit of problem with what he did. He was mad. He should have been mad.”
LATEST HEADLINES: FORMULA-ONE
-
F1: Rosberg Stays Hot, Wins Monaco Pole
Nico Rosberg made it three poles in a row Saturday in Monaco... -
F1: Monaco Grand Prix Weekend Notebook (UPDATE 10)
Check back here for frequent updates throughout the Monaco Grand… -
F1: Webber Unsure About Red Bull Future, Says Ecclestone
Bernie Ecclestone believes Mark Webber will have a say in whether… -
F1: Horner Makes 'Yellow Flags' Jab At Ferrari
Christian Horner has hit back at Ferrari after the team accused Red… -
F1: Pirelli Issues Formula One Quit Threat
Pirelli is growing tired of its spot in the glaring spotlight of… -
F1: Frustrated Pirelli Still Awaiting 2014 Decision
Pirelli boss Paul Hembery is not sure how new season will unfold...… -
F1: Grosjean Quick But Hits The Wall In Monaco
Romain Grosjean had an eventful Thursday in Monaco... - More News
