NASCAR notebook: Hamlin awaits a change in his luck
Virginian Denny Hamlin heads to Richmond this week as one of the favorites. It's not a new role for him. Although he's started this season better than last, Denny Hamlin has still experienced some angst on pit road.
Speeding penalties and slow pit stops, he admits, have stymied him in some races this season. Despite those problems, Denny Hamlin enters this weekend fifth in points. He's had better finishes over last year in seven of the first nine races.
"I can tell you that I'm excited I'm competitive every week,'' said Denny Hamlin, who has three top-five finishes this season. "We're making gains.
"[But] every time it comes to pit road, we have problems. If it's not speeding; it's a loose wheel; it's a real bad pit stop or got to come in, top off with fuel. If we could just race out on the racetrack and not have to come in, you know, we could have easily three or four wins and they all could be in a row right now.
"It's just we've kind of been bit and it is, it's getting -- it's getting old and it's been frustrating. But, you know, I'm still really, real happy that I can go to the racetrack now and know that I'm a top two or three car every time.''
Denny Hamlin was fifth last weekend at Talladega when he pitted six laps from the finish, which was extended by a caution, because the fuel gamble didn't work. He finished 21st. NASCAR cited him for speeding on pit road while he led at Phoenix last month and he lost about 30 spots. Denny Hamlin rallied to finish third.
A tire problem forced him to pit shortly after he made his stop early in the Texas race. He lost a lap. It took more than 150 laps to regain the lap. He finished ninth. His tachometer needle broke at Martinsville and he was unable to gauge his pit road speed. A loose lug nut also slowed a stop that race, costing him the lead and 10 positions. He recovered to finish third with the help of a pit gamble.
"Jeff Gordon and those guys have had great cars the last three or four, five weeks,'' Denny Hamlin said, "but we've been as competitive, if not better than they have. He's just kind of got all the breaks lately and we can't really catch one to go our way. When it turns around, it's going to be big. We are going to reel off a bunch of wins.''
New name
Sports Business Journal reports that KFC has emerged as one of the leading candidates to become the new series sponsor for the Busch series. Anheuser-Busch will end its sponsorship of the series this season after 25 years.
Other contenders are Subway and Dish Network. NASCAR's relationship with DirecTV, though, makes a deal with Dish Network seem unlikely.
NASCAR and Virginia Tech
Richmond officials will honor Virginia Tech in several ways this weekend.
A large VT logo will be on the infield grass, a moment of silence for the victims will be held before each race and a Virginia Tech flag will be flown into the infield before Saturday's race by a member of a professional parachute jumping team. A Tech flag also will fly in the infield.
Virginia Tech officials will accept donations on behalf of the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund inside the gates and at Chevy Fan Fest throughout the weekend.
Pit stops
Michael Jordan will serve as the grand marshal for the all-star race May 19 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. ... NASCAR is looking into why Kyle Busch's HANS device suffered a slight stress crack after his accident in the Talladega Busch race where he rolled several times. ... Fifty cars are entered for Saturday night's Cup race at Richmond. ... Wyler Racing with Johnny Benson will make its Cup debut this weekend with a Toyota Camry. ... Forty-five cars are entered for Friday's Busch race at Richmond with 22 drivers entered to run both Busch and Cup.
