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Hamlin down to 12 in NASCAR NEXTEL Chase

AP Sports Ticker

Denny Hamlin’s weekend got off to a great start when he won Saturday’s NASCAR Busch Series RoadLoans.com 200 at Dover International Speedway.

However, when Sunday night rolled around, his hopes for winning the Nextel Cup championship were all but dashed.

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Hamlin entered the second race for the “Chase for the Championship” ninth in the standings, but dropped three spots to 12th and last among contenders after a disappointing 38th in the Dodge Dealers 400. He sits 158 points behind leader Jeff Gordon with eight races to go.

Even more frustrating for Hamlin was the way things went wrong in the Nextel Cup race. He was enjoying a solid run until he ran into the back of Kyle Petty’s Dodge on lap 204.

“I was battling for position and I think Kyle was several seconds off the pace and trying to do his best to get out of the way and I think by doing that, the two cars made contact,” Hamlin said. “I ran into the back of him, absolutely. But he came off the corner 10 miles per hour slower than he had in laps before and I wasn’t counting on that happening. He’s trying to battle those few cars for a top 35. We’re trying to battle for a championship.”

Hamlin drove to his garage and sat in his car while his crew repaired the damage. The usually reserved Petty approached Hamlin, pulled down his window net, then slapped Hamlin’s face shield close before stomping away yelling.

Despite suffering from flu-like conditions that nearly forced him to use a backup driver in the Busch race, Hamlin jumped out of his car and made a move towards Petty before crew members separated them.

“Don’t smack me on the helmet. You smack me on the helmet and I’m going to punch you in the face, bottom line,” Hamlin said. “You don’t come to my car; you don’t come to my pit. You meet me somewhere else and we’ll settle it. I have the utmost respect for Kyle, but don’t lay your hands on my head.”

“I did not say one word to him. I asked him to come over and talk to me. He chose to slap my helmet. I have a short fuse. Don’t do that.”

Petty, in his own race to remain among the top-35 in the standings which ensures a starting spot in each race, sarcastically took the blame for the incident.

“We were a little bit loose. I guess it’s my fault,” Petty said. “I watched the Busch race yesterday and I knew Denny was sick – I just didn’t know he was hallucinating and needed three lanes to get up off the corner because he ran all over us.

“I guess he is in a race by himself.”

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Not A Big Fan Of Either Of These 2

PA SportsTicker Auto Racing Editor

Kurt Busch can look at little brother Kyle’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson for some solace after Sunday’s disappointing finish at New Hampshire International Speedway.

The elder Busch brother plummeted seven places in the standings – from fifth to 12th – after engine problems that began on lap 120 relegated him to 25th in the first race of the “Chase for the Championship.”

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The 2004 Nextel Cup Series champion, Kurt Busch entered Loudon 40 points behind Johnson but now sits 102 back, falling to the bottom seed in the Chase.

But he needs to look no farther than Johnson’s 39th-place finish a year ago on the “Magic Mile” in September as reason for optimism. Johnson proved that a poor start to the Chase need not be devastating, as he rebounded to win the title rather handily.

“We survived – it could have been a lot worse,” Busch said. “It’s a bummer what happened (Sunday), but 25th isn’t bad. We had something break in the carburetor that wouldn’t let us get to full throttle.”

Busch’s troubles at New Hampshire snapped a strong stretch leading up to the Chase where finished outside the top 10 just twice – a pair of 11th-places at the Brickyard and Watkins Glen – over the previous nine races.

“It’s kind of a bummer, but we worked hard to get in this Chase and we’ll still work hard,” he said. “This one is a big lump, but it didn’t hurt us so we’ll see what happens.”

On the other hand, Kyle Busch got his Chase off to a solid start by finishing fourth in New Hampshire. That jumped him four spots to fifth place, where he sits just 35 points behind teammates Johnson and Jeff Gordon – who share the lead.

Johnson holds the tiebreaker edge over Gordon by virtue of his six race wins this season.

“It was a good day,” Kyle Busch said. “This bunch of guys did an awesome job for me and gave me an awesome race car to keep up front with these guys.

“We got back a little bit there in the beginning part of the race, which just wasn’t the best thing, but we kept getting better and better and making more and more adjustments to where we could get up front.”

Only race-winner Clint Bowyer, who improved from 12th to fourth, made a bigger upwards move in the standings than the younger Busch.

That’s hardly the look of a supposed lame-duck driver who is leaving Hendrick to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing’s Toyotas, beginning in the 2008 Sprint Cup season.

“To come out of here with a fourth-place effort definitely means a lot to these guys and this team and myself,” Busch said. “Hopefully we’ll go to Dover next week and have another good run, and go on to Kansas and then to Talladega and see what it brings us.”

Perhaps a nice parting gift – another Nextel Cup title for Rick Hendrick.

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NASCAR’s Gordon and Johnson Fined

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson were docked 100 points each Tuesday, and their crew chiefs were both fined $100,000 and suspended for six races for violations at Infineon Raceway.

The two Hendrick Motorsports cars failed an initial inspection Friday in Sonoma, Calif., when NASCAR officials found unapproved modifications to the fenders on their Chevrolets. NASCAR refused to let either driver on the track the entire day, and neither was allowed to qualify.

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But the fenders were fixed, the cars passed inspection Saturday and were allowed to race Sunday. Gordon, the four-time series champion, finished seventh while defending Nextel Cup champion Johnson was 17th.

Gordon remains the Nextel Cup points leader after the deduction, but his margin was cut to 171 points over Denny Hamlin. Johnson dropped from third to fifth.

But both will have to race through the summer without their crew chiefs. Chad Knaus and Steve Letarte are not eligible to return to the track until Aug. 15. The crew chiefs also were placed on probation through the end of the year.

Car owner Rick Hendrick said he was disappointed and called the penalties “excessive.”

“Right now, all of our options are being evaluated, including our personnel situation and a possible appeal to the National Stock Car Racing Commission,” Hendrick said in a statement. “We’ll take some time to decide on a direction and make an announcement regarding our plans for New Hampshire later in the week.”

Gordon and Johnson are the most dominant drivers in NASCAR this season — they’ve won four races each — and Hendrick Motorsports has 10 victories this year.

Hendrick traveled to California after the failed inspection, and argued his crew chiefs were operating in a “gray area” of the NASCAR rule book as it pertains to the new Car of Tomorrow.

“I don’t necessarily say they bent the rules — I think they thought they were working inside an area in which they could,” Hendrick said. “It’s going to be tough, as we go forward, on what’s intentional and what’s accidental and how they handle it, so you’re definitely going to have to show up with these things measured up.”

But NASCAR has insisted this season that there no longer are any questionable parts of the rule book, particularly when it comes to the COT. Teams were warned in March that any infractions dealing with the car were subjected to a loss of 100 points, a $100,000 fine and a six-race suspension.

NASCAR adhered to those guidelines last month when it penalized Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his crew chief, Tony Eury Jr., for modifications found on the wing of their COT at Darlington Raceway.

Now the Hendrick teams have been hit with the same penalties, although many believed Knaus — a repeat offender — should have received a stiffer punishment.

This is at least the 15th time Knaus has been penalized for something during his crew chief career, and this was his fourth suspension since 2001. He sat out four races last season when NASCAR found illegal modifications following Johnson’s qualifying run for the Daytona 500.

Johnson went on to win the 500, and again at Las Vegas, without Knaus. The two reunited in March and went on to win their first championship.

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Johnson and Gordon Both Fail Inspection

SONOMA, Calif. (AP) — Jimmie Johnson and teammate Jeff Gordon had an unexpected and unwanted day off Friday.

The cars of defending NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Johnson and series points leader Gordon failed inspection and were barred from all activity for the day at Infineon Raceway, including qualifying.

NASCAR said the No. 24 and No. 48 Chevrolets, both owned by Hendrick Motorsports, had modifications to the front fenders that were deemed illegal during morning inspection.

The Hendrick crews were allowed to repair them and they can race in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, although starting from the rear of the 43-car field. Gordon, the four-time series champion, is the defending race winner.

“The cars have been repaired and I’m under the impression they will not receive an inspection sticker until tomorrow morning, which will allow the cars onto the racetrack,” said Chad Knaus, Johnson’s crew chief. “The guys on both teams have done a good job getting the cars repaired. They are race-ready now.”

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But the damage was already done.

Doug Duchardt, vice president of development for Hendrick, called the modifications an honest mistake.

“We’ve been evolving and this was just the latest evolution of what we’ve been doing,” he said. “Our understanding is that our cars fit the templates but that they were outside of what they would like to see within the templates.”

Gordon came to Sonoma after his wife gave birth to the couple’s first child, a daughter, on Wednesday.

“Well, obviously, nothing’s going to ruin my day or weekend,” Gordon said. “I’m on cloud nine. This has obviously been pretty devastating news at the race track. … This definitely puts us in a box and we’re going to have to work our way out of it.”

The five-time Sonoma winner said pit strategy is going to be “extremely important.”

“We’re one of the best teams out there,” he said. “I love the road courses and I know these guys have brought a great race car and I’m looking forward to getting out there, hopefully sometime tomorrow, and seeing what we’ve got for them on Sunday.

Johnson echoed his teammate and the co-owner of his car.

“We’re going to start at the back and work our way forward,” he said. “A lot of road course racing really falls into the strategy of the race and we’ll just have to make the most of our poor track position to find the strategy and work our way up for a solid finish.”

This is the first road race for NASCAR’s new Car of Tomorrow, a bigger, bulkier and reputedly safer car that’s been in development for seven years. It has run in six races this season, all on ovals.

“It’s important to know that this is a Car of Tomorrow penalty,” NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said. “The inspection process and NASCAR’s reaction to the Car of Tomorrow violations are going to be more severe. We’re going to keep this car in check.

“It’s important to know that all cars in the field are starting out equal and all have the same opportunity to win as the other.”

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. was docked 100 points and crew chief Tony Eury Jr. was fined $100,000 and suspended six races after NASCAR discovered illegal brackets on the rear wing of the No. 8 COT Chevrolet last month at Darlington Raceway.

Last year, Knaus, was suspended for four races when he was caught cheating in qualifying before the Daytona 500. Johnson won the race without Knaus, who rejoined the team in March and helped Johnson win the Nextel Cup title.

Asked why the cars could still be allowed to pass inspection and race this weekend, Poston said: “That’s been our practice in the past that we’ve given teams an opportunity to repair cars that have failed inspection, and we’ll do the same here.”

Poston said NASCAR would determine any further penalties assessed to the two Hendrick cars after officials return to their Daytona Beach, Fla., headquarters following the race.

Kurt Busch, who drives for Penske Racing, said he understands what NASCAR is trying to accomplish with the COT.

“If NASCAR’s intentions are to create an equal playing field for everybody with the COT and you step out of line like this, you need to have your hands smacked, I guess,” Busch said. “DEI did it with their rear spoiler and now you’ve got two Hendrick cars that are out of code.”

But Busch said he doesn’t expect missing a day of on-track action to slow down the Hendrick cars.

“You lose a little bit of practice time, but it’s only an hour and a half today,” he said. “It’s not much. It’s going to be bad though with those two cars starting in the back because guys up front aren’t going to get any TV time.”

Duchardt noted his team has won five of the first six COT races and each of those winning cars was sent to NASCAR’s Research and Development Center and encountered no problems.

Hendrick has won 10 of 15 races overall this season, with both Gordon and Johnson winning four times. Their teammates, Kyle Busch and Casey Mears, whose cars passed the initial inspection Friday, have each won once.

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Jeff Gordon Is a Father of a Baby Girl

Congratulations Jeff!

Earlier today, Jeff Gordon and Ingrid Vandebosch welcomed a new daughter into the world. Ella Sofia Gordon was born at 9:09 a.m., weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce and was 20 inches long.

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NASCAR’S JEFF GORDON MAKES HISTORY

AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team has kept a flag bearing the late Dale Earnhardt’s famed No. 3 in its hauler since last July, just awaiting Jeff Gordon’s next NASCAR Nextel Cup win.

It was a long wait, but the crew was finally able to break out the flag Saturday night after Gordon, getting a little luck and making a gutsy pass for the lead, grabbed that historic victory at Phoenix International Raceway.

The win by the four-time series champion tied Earnhardt for sixth place on the career victory list with 76 and was also his first win on the one-mile Phoenix oval, leaving only Texas and Homestead as active tracks where he has yet to find Victory Circle.

After ending the 26-race victory drought, Gordon stopped on the front straightaway to pick up the black, red and white Earnhardt flag, holding it proudly out the window for his slow victory lap as the big crowd paid homage to both Gordon and seven-time champion Earnhardt.

“It means the world,” Gordon said. “Holding that 3 flag, it’s certainly by no means saying we’re as good as him. I learned so much from him. We wanted to honor him. We’ve been holding on to that flag for a long time.”

One of the first drivers to congratulate Gordon in Victory Circle was Dale Earnhardt Jr.

“That means the world to me because I didn’t want to come across the wrong way,” Gordon said. “We wanted to show tribute and honor.”

Gordon started from the pole and led early, but he spent most of the 312-lap race following Tony Stewart, who appeared to be on the way to an easy victory.

As the leaders began a series of green-flag pit stops late in the race, Gordon drove onto pit road at the end of lap 283. As he drove slowly toward his pit at the end of pit road, a three-car crash brought out the yellow flag.

The timing was perfect for Gordon, who was able to finish his pit stop and head back toward the track before leader Stewart came back to the finish line, thereby keeping Gordon on the lead lap.

When all the other leaders pitted under the caution flag, Gordon stayed on track and took the lead.

Once the green flag came back out on lap 294, Stewart tried desperately to regain the top spot. As Gordon struggled to get by Martin Truex Jr., who had pitted before the yellow and was on the end of the lead lap, Stewart saw his chance.

On lap 299, Stewart squeezed his Chevrolet between Gordon and Truex and somehow drove to the lead. But Gordon wouldn’t quit, staying on Stewart’s rear bumper and then driving under him to regain the lead for good on lap 300.

“I drove my guts out,” Gordon said. “I’ve never had to work so hard.”

Gordon pulled away to finish about six car-lengths ahead of Stewart.

Hendrick cars have now won five of eight races this year and Gordon, who joined teammates Jimmie Johnson (3) and Kyle Busch (1) as a winner in 2007, is off to one of the best starts of his career with six top five finishes and seven top 10s.

“We didn’t lead a ton, but we had a good car,” said Gordon, who led 53 laps. “It all did fall in our lap.

“I almost drove through the pit. (Crew chief) Steve (Letarte) made the call (to stop) and I love him. He’s as sharp as can be. He’s so cool under pressure.”

The disappointed Stewart, who led a race-high 132 laps, said, “I felt like the second half of the race we had a good car.”

Denny Hamlin may have had the best car on the track Saturday. He led 70 laps and was still out ahead when he was caught speeding entering pit road on lap 99. Hamlin was penalized to the back of the longest line (30th) for the restart on lap 104.

That didn’t slow him down much. Hamlin, Stewart’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, charged back into contention and finished third.

It was the third race for NASCAR’s new Car of Tomorrow and its first test on a track longer than a half mile. Hamlin wasn’t impressed with the bigger, bulkier car.

“If that was the point of it, to make it more competitive for everyone, the mission failed, in my opinion,” Hamlin said. “I don’t know how we’re going to run these cars on bigger tracks without further changes.”

Reigning Nextel Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, finished fourth, followed by Matt Kenseth, Jeff Green and Kyle Busch, in another Hendrick Chevrolet.

Kevin Harvick, who won both Cup races in Phoenix last year, led some laps early and wound up 10th.

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