NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: Hamlin Masters Pocono Again
Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Gillette Fusion Proglide 500 at Pocono Raceway....
Mike Hembree  |  Posted June 07, 2010   Long Pond, PA
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 at Pocono Raceway. (Photo: Getty Images)
Denny Hamlin, who drove like the king of Pocono Raceway on his first visit to the track, underlined his power at the 2.5-mile speedway again Sunday by claiming an overtime victory in the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500.

LINK> UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: GILLETTE FUSION PROGLIDE 500 - POCONO
PDF> UNOFFICIAL DRIVER POINTS: GILLETTE FUSION PROGLIDE 500 - POCONO

Hamlin was virtually by himself in the closing miles of one of the season’s toughest races before a late-race caution forced a green-white-checkered finish and led to a spectacular last-lap crash.

The yellow flag that led to overtime flew as Kevin Harvick made contact with Joey Logano as they raced for fifth place while Hamlin, the leader, was charging toward the white flag. Officials said Hamlin had not taken the white flag before the appearance of the caution, so the race went into extra laps.

If Hamlin had taken the white flag in the lead, he would have locked in the race win at that point. “I was sort of backing off in case I needed fuel mileage,” Hamlin said. “Then I saw the light turn yellow right before I got to the line.”

Hamlin drove the green-white-checkered laps without a challenge, however, and took his fourth win of the season. He charged from 16th place over the closing miles to take the victory.

“We drove through those guys,” he said. “It was a great car. It was the best it was all day on the last run.”

As Hamlin ran to the checkers, chaos was erupting behind him. Kasey Kahne tried to pass on the inside in a big pack of traffic. He was blocked by his teammate, AJ Allmendinger, and that move sent Kahne onto the grass apron. He shot back across the track and was hit by oncoming traffic, contact that lifted his car onto the outside wall.

Nine cars wrecked in the aftermath of the Kahne incident.

There was more excitement on pit road after the race as Logano parked his race car near Harvick’s and jumped out to attempt to discuss the late-race incident with the Richard Childress Racing driver. Logano got within shouting distance of Harvick and got in a few choice words. Later, he told an interviewer that Harvick’s wife, Delana, “wears the firesuit in the family.”

Hamlin won both races at Pocono in 2006, his rookie season, and tacked on another victory at the track last season. With his fourth win at Pocono, he tied Jeff Gordon at the top of the victory list for full-time active drivers at the track.

Following Hamlin to the finish were Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Harvick and Jimmie Johnson. Logano dropped out of the top 10 and finished 13th.
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, preforms a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 at Pocono Raceway. (Photo: Getty Images)

The race, the first of two annual visits to the 2.5-mile triangular track in the Pocono Mountains, started two hours late because of early-afternoon rain.

The race was relatively calm until the final 30 laps, when caution flags and pit strategy produced some frantic racing at the front.

Differing pit decisions put a strange mix of cars in the front pack for the closing chase to the checkered flag.

Winless Sam Hornish Jr., who had led only six laps in his Sprint Cup career entering the race, held the lead with 20 laps to go as he tried to hold off a pack of drivers who had made splash-and-go pit stops to pick up additional fuel. Hamlin eventually emerged from that group.

LINK> UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: GILLETTE FUSION PROGLIDE 500 - POCONO
PDF> UNOFFICIAL DRIVER POINTS: GILLETTE FUSION PROGLIDE 500 - POCONO

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com and has been covering motorsports for 28 years. He has written several books on NASCAR, including "NASCAR: The Definitive History of America's Sport" and "Then Tony Said To Junior: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told". He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.

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