MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Denny Hamlin ended an agonizing 10-year winless streak at Martinsville Speedway, holding off teammate Christopher Bell in his home state to secure a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
The Joe Gibbs Racing star, who was raised a few hours away in the Richmond suburb of Chesterfield, leads active Cup drivers with six victories at Martinsville. But Sunday was his first checkered flag on the 0.526-mile oval in southwest Virginia since March 29, 2015.
Hamlin was a frequent contender during his 19-race drought at Martinsville, posting 10 top fives and leading 226 laps.
Bell, who leads the Cup Series with three wins this season, was second, followed by Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson.
With the 55th victory of his career, Hamlin also snapped a 31-race winless streak since last April at Dover.
Special day turns sour
After being honored Sunday morning with a Virginia General Assembly proclamation commending , Josh Berry led 40 laps in the team’s hometown race before disaster struck. Berry’s No. 21 Ford was hit in the left rear by the No. 23 Toyota of Bubba Wallace while exiting the pits, causing Berry’s car to stall in Turn 2.
Berry, who can withstand a poor finish , returned after losing two laps for repairs. He still managed to lead the most laps for Wood Brothers Racing at Martinsville since NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson led 180 on April 29, 1973 (the team’s most recent victory at the track just east of its museum in Stuart, Virginia).
Up next
The Cup Series will race next Sunday at historic Darlington Raceway, the South Carolina track that will celebrate a “throwback weekend” that encourages teams to feature vintage paint schemes and crew uniforms.
It’s the first of two annual races on the 1.366-mile oval that dates to 1950. Brad Keselowski , and Chase Briscoe last September.
___
AP auto racing:
The post Denny Hamlin ends 10-year win drought at Martinsville Speedway appeared first on Associated Press.
