What a relief! Hamlin gets unofficial Busch Series win
WEST ALLIS, Wis. – After missing the start of the race because his helicopter couldn’t find a place to land, Denny Hamlin rallied to take the checkered flag in a wacky NASCAR Busch Series race at the Milwaukee Mile on Saturday.
But because a substitute driver, Aric Almirola, started the race in Denny Hamlin’s car, NASCAR officially will credit Almirola with the victory. It was the first time a relief driver had won a race in one of NASCAR’s top three national racing series since Darrell Waltrip did it at Talladega Superspeedway in place of Donnie Allison on Aug. 7, 1977.
Denny Hamlin, one of a handful of drivers splitting time between the Nextel Cup race in Sonoma, Calif., and the Busch race in Milwaukee this weekend, arrived late to the racetrack and took the wheel from Almirola during an early pit stop.
In Victory Lane, Denny Hamlin said it wasn’t his decision to kick Almirola out of the car.
“I didn’t want to do it,” Denny Hamlin said. “I knew he would be really upset.”
Denny Hamlin steadily sliced through traffic throughout the race and finally took the lead with 78 laps to go – then saw of his biggest competitors fall out of contention seconds later when Busch Series points leader Carl Edwards pulled off for an unscheduled pit stop to change an apparent flat tire.
Denny Hamlin was shuffled back to fourth on the final round of pit stops, giving Scott Wimmer the race lead. But Denny Hamlin charged back into the lead on an aggressive move with 13 laps to go, squeezing past both Wimmer and Jason Leffler in Turn 1.
Wimmer finished second and Leffler finished third.
Edwards finished eighth, maintaining a dominant lead in the Busch Series points standings.
Edwards provided some entertainment earlier in the day, literally hitting the ground running once he arrived in Milwaukee.
Edwards left Sonoma early on Saturday, skipping the final Cup practice session to fly to an airport in Milwaukee, where he caught a helicopter ride to the track.
From there, Edwards got a golf cart ride into the infield – then had to sprint through the garage area past bewildered race fans so he could make it to his car in time to qualify.
“There’s no way to look cool and run your (tail) off,” Edwards said.
He started his car with about a minute to spare before he would have lost his qualifying turn, then qualified ninth.
“One minute later, we wouldn’t have made it,” Edwards said.
Denny Hamlin’s commute was considerably rougher, but it worked out better in the end.
