NASCAR: Bowyer sneaks ahead, takes win at Richmond
Related
Steve Helber/The Associated Press
Photo: Clint Bowyer celebrates taking the NASCAR Crown Royal 400 on Saturday in Richmond, Va. Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt collided, allowing Bowyer to sneak by for the victory.
Advertisement
Hamlin leads 381 laps, then blows tire; Busch, Earnhardt wreck late
5/3/2008 - 5/4/08
RICHMOND, Va. — Denny Hamlin appeared headed toward an easy victory. Then, Dale Earnhardt Jr. seemed poised to snap his two-year losing streak.In the end, surprise winner Clint Bowyer celebrated in Victory Lane, stealing a victory Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway that ended in wild fashion.
Hamlin ran away with the race and led a record 381 of the 400 laps in search of his first Cup victory at Richmond. Nobody came close to challenging him until a leaking right front tire allowed Earnhardt and Kyle Busch to catch him.
The two drivers split Hamlin as they moved past him, with Earnhardt emerging as the leader with 18 laps to go. Hamlin's tire finally failed with eight to go, and NASCAR accused him of intentionally bringing out the caution that regrouped the field.
Earnhardt and Busch staged a strong battle for the lead when the race resumed, but Busch and Earnhardt made contact in turn three that sent Earnhardt into the wall.
"that was just a product of good hard racing and I apologize that it happened and I hate it that it did," Busch said.
Without seeing a replay, Earnhardt guessed that it wasn't deliberate. His winless streak reached 72 races.
"I thought I was going to end the winless streak tonight and celebrate and be happy," Earnhardt said. "We'll have to keep running good like we are and try somewhere else."
Bowyer used the opportunity to slide past both Earnhardt and Busch and into the front for the first time all night. Bowyer then held off Busch on a final restart to score his first Cup victory of the season, second of his career.
Busch finished second. Mark Martin finished a season-best third and was followed by Tony Stewart, Martin Truex Jr. and Carl Edwards. Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne rounded out the top 10.
Earnhardt finished 15th and Hamlin was a disappointing 24th after nearly routing the field.