Denny Hamlin did all he could during Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway, but in the end his race and his shot at a Sprint Cup for 2012 ended with something he had no control over.
With a stellar record of past success at Martinsville, Hamlin had won three of the last six races there; he was expected to be a contender for the win Sunday.
Hamlin started the day fifth and was able to remain inside the top five in the early going. But on lap 50 NASCAR caught Hamlin speeding on the entrance to pit road during a caution and was given a pass through penalty. He restarted in 31st place. He rebounded however and by lap 88 had fought his way back to 17th place. By lap 112, Hamlin’s recovery had him back inside the top 10, and by lap 137 he was inside the top five. He could go on to lead twice in the race for 12 lap, but on lap 208 Hamlin suffered more misfortune; NASCAR again cited him for speeding on pit road and Hamlin found himself in 28th. MORE>>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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