NASCAR: Chicagoland results in 3 minutes

It took one race for Denny Hamlin to assure himself a spot in the second phase of NASAR’s Chase after his victory in Sunday’s myAFibRisk.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.

Hamlin, recovering from a spin that put him a lap down just two laps into the race, won the first of the postseason’s three-race first stage, which will continue next week at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Winning a race is the top criteria for advancing in the Chase.

Hamlin took the lead on a final restart after not pitting when a yellow flag was shown for debris on Lap 259 of the 267-lap race. He passed Kurt Busch and Jeff Gordon on the restart and went on to win with ease over Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards. Busch would finish third and Ryan Newman fourth.

Defending Cup champion Kevin Harvick finished 42nd after a cut tire spun his Chevy on Lap 138. Harvick’s tire went down after Jimmie Johnson’s car made contact with his during a restart. An angry Harvick confronted Johnson after the race, punching him in the chest. Johnson walked away as Harvick had to be restrained.

Turning point

There might have been two. Hamlin spun on the second lap and went a lap down, but the damage was minimal enough that he could stay in the race. Then, after a caution for debris on Lap 259, Hamlin took the lead on the restart and won by a relatively comfortable margin.

Chase update

How the NASCAR Chase drivers fared:

1. Matt Kenseth (2,052 points): Didn’t win but managed next-best thing, taking over points lead.

2. Denny Hamlin (2 behind)*: Assured spot in Chase’s second stage thanks to Chicagoland victory.

3. Carl Edwards (3 behind): Finished second Sunday and helps keep Joe Gibbs Racing momentum going.

4. Kyle Busch (3 behind): Positive start for a driver who has struggled in the Chase before.

5. Kurt Busch (4 behind): Led 37 laps and might have won had it not been for late caution.

6. Joey Logano (4 behind): Might have played a part in Kevin Harvick-Jimmie Johnson dustup.

7. Jimmie Johnson (7 behind): He angered Kevin Harvick when Johnson hit him on a restart, walked away when Harvick confronted him postrace.

8. Ryan Newman (12 behind): Moved up nine places late in the race to finish a more-than-respectable fourth.

9. Brad Keselowski (13 behind): A ho-hum day, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in the Chase, finishing a safe eighth.

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (14 behind): Same scenario as Keselowski, not a factor in the race but safely inside the top 12 –for now.

11. Martin Truex Jr. (17 behind): Led 39 laps early, not a surprise after being strong in practice Sunday. Finished 13th.

12. Jeff Gordon (21 behind): Had a strong car, leading 41 laps, but faltered and finished 14th.

13. Jamie McMurray (24 behind): Finished 16th and a lap down in the first Chase race of his career.

14. Paul Menard (25 behind): A Chase rookie like McMurray, he finished 17th and a lap down.

15. Clint Bowyer (27 behind): Struggled all day, eventually finishing 19th and two laps down. Has work to do to climb out of the bottom four.

16. Kevin Harvick (43 behind): Not a good way to start defense of title, wrecked after a cut tire on Lap 138 and eventually finished 42nd.

*clinched spot in second phase with victory Sunday.

Observations

▪ NASCAR placed a dedicated camera at the restart zone Sunday as a way to monitor possible infractions. It came into play once, when Jeff Gordon, running second at the time, might have jumped early on leader Kyle Busch. Gordon’s restart was reviewed by NASCAR, which had visual evidence, but it was ruled Gordon did nothing wrong.

▪ The race included the longest green-flag stretch of the season, a 116-lap run from Laps 7 through 123. The long run ended innocuously enough, with a yellow flag for debris on the backstretch.

▪ Few races can brag about the kind of star power in their grand marshals that this one did. Legends Jerry West (basketball) and Billie Jean King (tennis) had the honor for the MyAFibRisk.com. They both have a condition called atrial fibrillation, an irregular and often rapid heart rate resulting in poor blood flow. Both are managing the disease and have regular checkups.

They said it

▪ “I thought if we could finish seventh, it would be an amazing comeback day.” – Hamlin on his hopes after spinning on Lap 2.

▪ “This is the momentum we need to continue on.” – Hamlin.

▪ “I just held my ground and he just slammed into the side of the door like I wasn’t even there.” – Kevin Harvick, on his car being hit by Jimmie Johnson’s, resulting in a cut tire that eventually blew and caused Harvick to wreck.

This story was originally published September 20, 2015 at 8:50 PM with the headline "NASCAR: Chicagoland results in 3 minutes."