Hamlin puts JGR back in Nationwide win column at Dover
4 Comments Published May 31st, 2008 in NASCAR News
Denny Hamlin held off Carl Edwards to win the Helluva Good! 200 Saturday afternoon at Dover International Raceway. It was his second win of the season and the 9th win of the year for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Rookie phenom Joey Logano finished sixth in his NASCAR national-level debut, running near the front of the 200-mile race with veterans such as Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and JGR teammate Hamlin.
The 18-year-old Logano drove the No. 20 Toyota that entered leading the Nationwide Series in owner points and has won six races in 14 starts this season with Kyle Busch, Hamlin and Tony Stewart behind the wheel.
David Stremme was third and David Reutimann fourth.
Logano was eligible to drive once he turned 18 last week, and JGR immediately put him to work. He’s scheduled to run about 18 Nationwide races this year and might be positioned to make the move to the Sprint Cup Series if JGR expands to a four-car team as early as next season.
Logano expected better than sixth in his Nationwide debut.
“It ain’t much in my book,” Logano said.
Busch, who has dominated at all levels this season, was knocked out in a late-race collision with Braun Racing teammate Jason Leffler. Leffler got loose in the No. 38 Toyota and blindsided Busch from behind. Both drivers were fighting for top-10 finishes, but they spun and smacked into the wall and their race was over.
“I just have a teammate that can’t stand to be No. 2,” Busch said. “I don’t know what Leffler was thinking there.”
Leffler apologized for the accident and for owner Todd Braun now needing repairs on two cars.
Is no one else concerned that Toyota has won
like 9 of 14 races this year?
They have hit on something that no one else has found. I made the same comment to my dad who is not really a Race fan, and he said ” that is what Nascar wants’” In other words , the fix is in for toyota.
[quote comment="41154"]Is no one else concerned that Toyota has won
like 9 of 14 races this year?[/quote]
Was nobody concerned when Chevy dominated last year, or Ford the years before, or Dodge the other year?
It’s racing, sometimes teams/manufactures find something, sometimes its just the right combination of Driver/Crew/Talent.
It’s only the Gibbs Toyota’s who are really dominating so I think the team has got something right.