 | | Rookie Denny Hamlin points to his crew in Victory Lane. Credit: Autostock |
NASCAR.COM
June 11, 2006
08:02 PM EDT (00:02 GMT)
Lap 200 -- CHECKERED FLAG: Denny Hamlin wins the Pocono 500. Lap 198 -- Denny Hamlin has built a 0.883-second lead.  |  | | Denny Hamlin led a race-high 83 laps to get his first Nextel Cup victory. Credit: Autostock |
| |
| Pocono 500 |
| Unofficial Results |
| Pos. |
Driver |
Make |
| 1. |
Denny Hamlin |
Chevy |
| 2. |
Kurt Busch |
Dodge |
| 3. |
Tony Stewart |
Chevy |
| 4. |
Brian Vickers |
Chevy |
| 5. |
Matt Kenseth |
Ford |
| 6. |
Greg Biffle |
Ford |
| 7. |
Kasey Kahne |
Dodge |
| 8. |
Scott Riggs |
Dodge |
| 9. |
Jeff Burton |
Chevy |
| 10. |
Jimmie Johnson |
Chevy |
|
|
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Lap 195 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin has five laps to hold everyone off.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kurt Busch
3. Tony Stewart
4. Brian Vickers
5. Matt Kenseth Lap 193 -- YELLOW FLAG: Cars are rolling under caution again. Lap 193 -- RED FLAG: The race has been stopped and all the cars are parked on the straightaway. When Jeff Gordon crashed, he first slid through the grass and carried debris all across the racetrack. A SAFER Barrier is being replaced as well. Lap 192 -- Second-place man Greg Biffle heads to pit road because of a flat tire. Half the field follows him.
• Greg Biffle takes four tires and wins the battle off pit road
• Jimmie Johnson is out behind him
• Denny Hamlin stays out Lap 190 -- YELLOW FLAG: Jeff Gordon spins and slams hard into the Turn 1 wall, driver's side first. Gordon, however, is unhurt and climbs out of the car immediately. He said his brakes went completely out. Lap 184 -- Denny Hamlin has a 4.280-second lead over second-place Greg Biffle. Lap 177 -- LEAD CHANGE: Clint Bowyer hits pit road to complete the green-flag stops, handing the lead to Denny Hamlin. Hamlin is ahead of Greg Biffle by 3.25 seconds.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Greg Biffle
3. Kurt Busch
4. Tony Stewart
5. Brian Vickers Lap 170 -- Jeff Burton is running 21st after his pit-road penalty. Lap 169 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth pits, giving the lead to Scott Riggs, but Riggs pits as well.
• Clint Bowyer becomes the leader
• Chad Chaffin spins on pit road while locking the rear wheels Lap 168 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kurt Busch pits, giving the lead to Matt Kenseth. Tony Stewart is also on pit road right behind Busch. Jeff Burton's day is ruined -- he is penalized for speeding on pit road. Lap 167 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin hits pit road to give up the lead to Kurt Busch. Hamlin's stop is 13.1 seconds. Nearly all the lead-lap cars follow the leader onto pit road. Lap 166 -- Greg Biffle hits pit road for what could be his final stop. Lap 165 -- Green-flag pit stops begin for the final time. Lap 164 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin has come full circle, taking the lead from Greg Biffle. Hamlin last led on Lap 51. Lap 156 -- Denny Hamlin moves past Kurt Busch to take second place. Hamlin reports this is the best car he has ever had. Lap 153 -- Dale Jarrett has returned to the track. Lap 147 -- Martin Truex Jr. drops to pit road because of a flat tire. Lap 145 -- GREEN FLAG: Greg Biffle leads the field.
1. Greg Biffle
2. Kurt Busch
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Jeff Burton Lap 143 -- At least six cars hit pit road, including Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon and Brian Vickers. Gordon's team misses a lug nut but catches it before leaving the stall. Lap 142 -- YELLOW FLAG: Kevin Lepage's car coasts to a stop on the back of the track. There is also debris on the track. Lap 141 -- LEAD CHANGE: Matt Kenseth hits pit road and gives up the lead to Greg Biffle. Lap 140 -- Joe Nemechek is coasting around the track without engine power. He could be out of gas. He makes it to pit road without problem. Lap 138 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin hits pit road to give the lead to Matt Kenseth. Hamlin has a clean -- and regular -- pit stop. Lap 137 -- Jeff Burton gives up second position to make his pit stop. He is out in 14.6 seconds. His team wanted to pit before leader Denny Hamlin. Lap 136 -- Tony Stewart slides into his pit box and stalls the car. He gets out in 13.8 seconds. Meanwhile, Dale Jarrett takes his car behind the wall. Lap 131 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kurt Busch gives the lead to Denny Hamlin to make his pit stop. Busch's stop is 13.2 seconds. Lap 130 -- LEAD CHANGE: Greg Biffle gives up the lead to Kurt Busch so he can make his pit stop. His stop takes 16.7 seconds. Lap 129 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in for tires and fuel and has no complaints with his car. Lap 130 -- Seventh-place Brian Vickers heads to pit road to begin green-flag pit stops. Kyle Busch follows him for an air-pressure adjustment. Lap 121 -- LEAD CHANGE: Greg Biffle gets past Kurt Busch as the two cross the start/finish line. Lap 116 -- Denny Hamlin is running fifth, just 60 laps after blowing a tire, spinning and making 11 stops for repairs. Lap 115 -- Fourth-place Kasey Kahne has a right-rear tire that is flat and hits pit road to change it. He stays on the lead lap. Lap 108 -- Green-flag pit stops are complete, with Kurt Busch leading.
1. Kurt Busch
2. Greg Biffle
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. Kasey Kahne
5. Tony Stewart Lap 104 -- LEAD CHANGE: Denny Hamlin heads to pit road, giving up the lead back to Kurt Busch for a near completion of green-flag stops. Greg Biffle's recovery leaves him in second place. |  | | Brian Vickers found his way to the front at Pocono, where he finished second last year. Credit: Autostock |
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Lap 103 -- LEAD CHANGE: Tony Stewart gives up the lead to Denny Hamlin to pit, and Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth pit also. Jimmie Johnson penalized for speeding on pit road Lap 102 -- Jimmie Johnson hits pit road. Lap 98 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kasey Kahne pits and gives the lead to Tony Stewart.
• Kahne's team has problems, as the car rolls forward off the jack
• Kahne reports problems with the clutch
• The mishap doesn't cost Kahne significant time Lap 97 -- LEAD CHANGE: Carl Edwards pits, giving up the lead to Kasey Kahne.
• Edwards' car falls off the jack, and the team must revert to a flat-tire jack to lift the car
•Edwards shuts the car off while the team tries to pick it up
• Edwards' stop ends up being 82.2 seconds because of the mishap and falls one lap down Lap 96 -- LEAD CHANGE: Kurt Busch gives up the lead to Carl Edwards to make a pit stop.
• Brian Vickers is penalized for speeding off pit road
• Kyle Busch is penalized for speeding getting onto pit road Lap 95 -- LEAD CHANGE: Leader Brian Vickers gives way to Kurt Busch to make a pit stop.
• Kyle Busch locks his brakes up as he slows to enter pit road.
• Greg Biffle hits pit road without problems and has recovered from his brake issues Lap 94 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. brings his car to pit road for four tires and fuel. Lap 93 -- Reed Sorenson hits pit road to begin green-flag pit stops. Brake dust and smoke bellow from underneath the car. Lap 90 -- After multiple repairs and falling as far back as 40th position, Denny Hamlin is now up to 15th. Lap 86 -- Carl Edwards is the biggest gainer so far, running third after starting in 40th. Lap 76 -- LEAD CHANGE: Brian Vickers edges to the inside of Kurt Busch to beat him to the line by inches. Meanwhile, Carl Edwards and Dale Earnhardt Jr. close in on the leaders. Lap 73 -- GREEN FLAG: Kurt Busch is out front.
1. Kurt Busch
2. Brian Vickers
3. Carl Edwards
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5. Kyle Busch Lap 72 -- The teams of Sterling Marlin and Casey Mears have packed up and left the speedway. Lap 70 -- Leaders hit pit road, but second-place man Kurt Busch and fifth-pace Brian Vickers stay out.
• Jeff Burton decides to pit instead of stay out and beats everyone
• Mark Martin comes out next to gain three positions
• Michael Waltrip pits again and gains four spots
• Kevin Lepage moves up six spots with a fast stop
• Denny Hamlin's team continues to make repairs to his machine
• Ken Schrader gets the free pass Lap 69 -- YELLOW FLAG: Kyle Petty smacks the wall hard, and his wheel flies off and starts rolling by itself down the Long Pond straightaway. Lap 68 -- Reed Sorenson, after spinning through the grass on Lap 21, is running 13th. Lap 66 -- GREEN FLAG: Jeff Burton leads.
1. Jeff Burton
2. Kurt Busch
3. Tony Stewart
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Brian Vickers Lap 64 -- The top 10 drivers stay out, but from 11th on back most cars pit for fuel only.
• Bobby Labonte, Jimmy Spencer, Kyle Petty, Scott Riggs and Jeff Green get fuel and four tires
• Matt Kenseth and most of the others take only fuel Lap 63 -- Denny Hamlin is on pit road despite it being closed. His move gives him more time to make repairs, although he will be penalized to the tail end of the longest line. Lap 62 -- YELLOW FLAG: Ken Schrader has blown a left-rear tire and left debris on the track.
• Robby Gordon gets the free pass Lap 59 -- LEAD CHANGE: Jeff Burton moves past Kurt Busch to take the lead. Lap 57 -- GREEN FLAG: Kurt Busch takes command, while Denny Hamlin is a half-lap down after making multiple stops.
1. Kurt Busch
2. Jeff Burton
3. Tony Stewart
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Jeff Gordon Lap 55 -- Travis Kvapil stays out to lead a lap. Lap 52 -- All cars to pit road:
• Denny Hamlin beats the pace car out to stay on the lead lap
• Kurt Busch wins the race off pit road
• Greg Biffle's team works on the brake's master cylinder on a long stop
• Jeff Burton comes out second
• Tony Stewart has moved to third
• Ken Schrader and Scott Riggs have extended stops
• Denny Hamlin returns to pit road to put a battery cover back on the left-rear corner Lap 52 -- Denny Hamlin hits pit road for repairs although pit road is not open. A hole is ripped near the left-rear fender. Lap 51 -- YELLOW FLAG: Leader Denny Hamlin blows a left-rear tire on the Tunnel Turn and crashes. His spin did not do much physical damage to his car. He had led 49 of the 50 laps prior to wrecking. Lap 45 -- Denny Hamlin has ballooned his lead to 6.344 seconds over Kurt Busch and continues to run the fastest laps on the track. Lap 39 -- Robby Gordon is back on the track running 15 laps down. Lap 35 -- Tony Stewart is running fifth after starting 18th. No word on any shoulder problems. Lap 26 -- Robby Gordon is in the garage with radiator problems. |  | | Casey Mears' early spin sent him home early. Credit: Autostock |
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Lap 25 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin leads.
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kurt Busch
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Kasey Kahne Lap 24 -- Ryan Newman stays out to lead a lap. Lap 22 -- Everyone hits pit road:
• Kurt Busch's 14.5-second stop keeps him in second
• Leader Denny Hamlin beats everyone out without making changes
• Jeff Burton drops three spots to sixth trying to avoid cars on pit road
• Greg Biffle makes an extended pit stop to get a control on his brake problems Lap 21 -- YELLOW FLAG: Reed Sorenson slaps the wall and eases into the grass like his car would not steer.
• Sterling Marlin's car has right-side damage and comes to a stop trying to coast around the track
• J.J. Yeley blows a right-front tire and has right-side damage
• Greg Biffle is reporting a brake problem with his car, saying his brake pedal went all the way to the floor Lap 18 -- Sterling Marlin is slow and heads to pit road. He's reporting over his radio there is a problem with the valve train. Marlin's car is powered by a Hendrick engine. Lap 17 -- Carl Edwards has moved to the 17th position after starting back in 40th. Edwards won this race in 2005. Lap 13 -- Tony Stewart has moved from 18th to 10th since the start of the race. Lap 7 -- Kevin Lepage becomes the first of many drivers who will come off the Tunnel Turn and smack the wall for a "Pocono Stripe." Lap 5 -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin gets things going again with three-wide racing all through the field. Lap 4 -- Michael Waltrip leads a pack of cars near the back who stopped to top off with fuel. Lap 1 -- YELLOW FLAG: Casey Mears into the wall with hard damage to the rear. Scott Riggs got loose and tagged him in Turn 3. J.J. Yeley scoots through, but Travis Kvapil has damage. |  | | Denny Hamlin leads the field into the turn after taking the green flag. Credit: Autostock |
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2:20 p.m. -- GREEN FLAG: Denny Hamlin leads a two-wide scrum into the first of Pocono's three turns. 2:08 p.m. -- Five generals from the armed forces lean into the mic to say, "Gentlemen, start your engines." 2:01 p.m. -- Clark Luis sings the national anthem in sterling fashion. 2:00 p.m. -- Invocation. 1:53 p.m. -- Elliott Sadler gives four of the rookies a quick class on navigating Pocono. Denny Hamlin and David Stremme skipped out. 1:51 p.m. -- Carl Edwards endures 10 Laps with Chris Myers and says there's no doubt in his mind a woman will one day win the Cup title. 1:44 p.m. -- Jamie McMurray admits he's shocked at the slow start he's made in the No. 26 car. That makes him the 953,944th person thinking the same thing. 1:35 p.m. -- Tony Stewart says his new seat fits perfectly. It's the first time he's had a new seat in five years, or 30 pounds ago. 1:32 p.m. -- FOX is on the air, and the first stories are Pocono's Tunnel Turn and how rookies will handle the track. Looks like Denny Hamlin has the answer. 12:44 p.m. -- It's a chilly and breezy 58 degrees at Pocono -- in June -- and we're less than one hour from the green flag for the Pocono 500. | 
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