If penalties are warranted, they will be announced before the Chase begins.
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Indisputable at the moment is who possesses momentum.
Hamlin led 189 of the 407 laps, while 16 cautions ate up 89 laps. Since the elimination format was first introduced two seasons ago, fans have been treated to increased intensity, conflict and even some good old-fashioned fist fighting. “Make sure, probably individually, that they’ve talked; if they haven’t talked, we’ll make sure they’re together before any of the cars go out on the track prior to that first practice”.
It also marks the 24th consecutive race Hamlin will start from inside the top 10.
Hamlin might be hottest of all, because his string of top 10s is now eight races. It wasn’t good there, and then we qualified and it was just a handful in qualifying.
Saturday’s win at his home track was the most satisfying of all.
Kyle Busch charged through the second half of the racing schedule a year ago, and claimed his first ever Sprint Cup championship with JGR.
“I see all the extra Denny Hamlin shirts and hats and everything, and it just fires me up every time I get here”.
A record 16 caution flags slowed the race for 89 laps, the last of which sent the race into overtime.
Kyle Larson got by Martin Truex Jr. on the final lap to take runner-up honors. I love racing under the lights and I am excited about the race here at Richmond.
Stewart, who last week intentionally wrecked Brian Scott, is retiring at the end of the season and already had his spot in the Chase secure headed into Richmond.
Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott made the Chase becoming just the second and third rookies to turn the trick.
Realistically, only the final two spots were on the line.
Stewart claims he never saw Ward until the last moment.
But Newman’s sole focus was on Stewart, whom the Richard Childress Racing driver lambasted in a televised interview on NBC Sports Network after being released from the infield care center. McMurray ran in the top 10 nearly all night and finished seventh.
Newman drove for Stewart-Haas Racing from 2009-13.
Stewart said Newman had run across his nose early in the race and then twice again before Stewart admitted he cut across Newman but obviously didn’t want to wreck himself.
“I guess he thought he was in a Sprint Car again – didn’t know how to control his anger”, Newman said. It’s disappointing that you’ve got somebody old like that retired the way he drives.
And as to Newman’s suggestion Stewart should be retired already?
Most of what I require from a company today is built on the mistakes I have made, and the knowledge I’ve acquired.
The Chase kicks off next weekend in Chicago, and crisscrosses all across the country before winding up with the championship finale race in Miami during November. Hamlin has been a top-10 machine through the late-summer stretch and a win at Watkins Glen International plus Saturday night’s Richmond victory has this team thinking title run.
“This one doesn’t necessarily mean a whole lot”, he said of Richmond. “I think the guys are going to put it all on the edge”.
“I just think we have to first off be thankful that we were able to get in tonight after the night we had”, Elliott said.
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“Certainly telephone calls, but you can bet on the fact that, any incident like that, we’ll sit each driver down prior to going on the racetrack”, he said. “I can’t believe how many cautions we had”. We’ve got fast cars and smart people.
