Racing Men Of Nascar

Jeff Burton passes Matt Kenseth on the final lap to win the Samsung 500 at Texas.

Posted on September 5th, 2010 by Nascar News
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He might have limped out of his No. 11 stock car following the rain-delayed Samsung Mobile 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway on April 19, but Denny Hamlin’s track record at Monday races went unscathed once again as the injured racecar driver sped away to yet another win in the 2010 Sprint Cup Series.

Hamlin’s second win in three races came at Texas just three weeks after he went under the knife to repair an ACL injury in his left knee, and the young Joe Gibbs Racing superstar didn’t seem to mind the soreness in his knee as he claimed a victory at April’s Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas. Hamlin certainly won’t let anyone rain on his parade, and he proved it by outlasting yet another rain delay to win his second Monday race in a row (the last being March 29 at Martinsville).

Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota zipped into Victory Lane in Texas after a late crash claimed frontrunners Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart on April 19. In the final laps of the race, Hamlin surged past leader Jeff Burton on a Lap 323 (of 334) restart, crossing the finish line in first before cautiously stepping foot outside his stock car. Just three weeks after having surgery to repair a torn ACL, Hamlin seems to be back in contention for the Chase, and this second win of the season launched him into 11th place in driver standings – good enough to make the Chase if the season was to end today.

After posting the big win in Texas, Hamlin spoke to NASCAR.com about his mid-season surgery, saying, “I did it for the long run. I did it for the Chase. I did it for the championship… I’m still not 100 percent by any means. I feel like I’m 60 [percent] at best. We’re still a month away from getting back where we were.” Even though Denny Hamlin will be nursing a bum knee for the next couple months, his healthy right leg was enough to pack the heat at the Samsung Mobile 500 in Texas, and the 29-year-old driver hopes it will be enough to lead him into the Chase by the end of this season – a plausible goal as of now.

Currently sitting in 11th place in Cup Series standings after the April 19 Texas race (rocketing from No. 18 the previous week), Denny Hamlin is right on the line to make the Chase for the Championship, and by the 10-race playoff at the end of this season he hopes to have solidified a legit chance at his first series championship. After Texas, reigning champion Jimmie Johnson still sits in first place in driver standings, with Matt Kenseth in second, Greg Biffle in third, Kevin Harvick in fourth, Jeff Gordon in fifth, Kyle Busch in sixth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. in seventh, Jeff Burton in eighth, Kurt Busch in ninth, Mark Martin in 10th, Hamlin in 11th and Joey Logano in 12th.

With things heating up in the Cup Series this April, NASCAR tickets are red-hot items on the sports market. NASCAR fans are thrilled to see if Denny Hamlin will be able to hold his place in the Top 12 as he continues the recovery process from recent surgery, and with several other big races coming up over the next couple months, time will soon tell if Hamlin’s two big wins in March and April will be enough to boost him into the Chase.

 

Posted on September 3rd, 2010 by Nascar News
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After a rather tough racing season in 2009, Richard Childress Racing has jumped back into the fray with a bang in 2010 by downsizing to three cars and concentrating all its resources on a leaner, more focused team this year. The results emerging so far are positive and heartening for RCR fans.

Putting speculations to rest, RCR went on to renew No.29 driver, Kevin Harvick. Harvick had spiraled downwards last season when his average finish dipped by 7.5 positions. However, he started the 2010 season on a powerful note, leading the Daytona shootout in Feb, and proved it wasn’t a fluke by winning once again at the Talladega Superspeedway on 25th April. He’s the score leader at the moment and has high hopes pinned on him by RCR loyalists.

No.33, Clint Bowyer has been among the most consistent drivers on the circuit, prompting chief sponsor of the No.33 Chevy Impala, The Hartford to renew their sponsorship contract this year as well. The last three years have seen Bowyer grab 50 top-10 finishes (17, 17 and 16) out of which, 16 were top-five runs. He finished the 2009 season in the fifteenth place overall. His probation at the Daytona event has been unfortunate, but it is widely being speculated that he has the ability to bounce back into the chase.

The No.33 Chevy Impala and Bowyer will have The Hartford as main sponsor for the 3 Sprint Cup series races at Darlington Raceway (May 8), Pocono Raceway ( August 1) and the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana (October 10) and as associate sponsor for the rest of the series. The 2010 race season coincides with The Hartford’s 200th anniversary this year, and it is highlighting the bicentennial by celebrating NASCAR and the Richard Childress Racing team. The Hartford’s promotional campaign provides various opportunities for fans to interact with their RCR racing team. Fans have access to contests and sweepstakes, exclusive race merchandise, videos and other downloads. Prizes include free tickets for the big event at Miami and an outing with Clint Bowyer.

Coming back to the RCR drivers, No.31, Jeff Burton is the most experienced driver on board. Burton completed his 20th season in 2009 at the NASCAR Nationwide Series with 27 wins, 86 top-five and 146 top-10 finishes. The main sponsor for No.31 and Jeff Burton in 2010 is Caterpillar, with The Hartford as associate sponsor for the series. The Coca Cola 600 was a bad patch when he slipped from among top 5 positions to 25th place, after a brush with Kyle Busch’s car tore his car tire. However Jeff is a resilient and consistent driver and is a high probable for cutting the chase for the cup in 2010.

Posted on August 31st, 2010 by Nascar News
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Brad Keselowski gets into Jason Leffler and wrecks it, collecting Jeff Burton and Brian Scott

Posted on August 28th, 2010 by Nascar News
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