Hamlin at center of late-race bumps
Busch defends own move as racing for the victory
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – The twilight laps of Sunday’s First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway featured Denny Hamlin in a pair of crashes.
In one, Hamlin sailed into Chase Elliott as they raced for the lead, the result being Elliott losing control and hitting the wall hard. In the second encounter, Kyle Busch, Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, forced Hamlin up the track as they were racing for the win in overtime. Busch stayed in control; Hamlin didn’t. Busch won.
“Life ain’t fair,” said Busch, who’s now locked into the final four for the Homestead-Miami Speedway finale. “What’s fair and what’s not is irrelevant. When it comes down to the end of the race and you see the white flag waving and the door crack open a little, you have to put your foot in it. Denny thought the same thing racing the 24 (Elliott).
“The seas just kept parting for us and enabling us to get up front.”
What’s OK and what’s not in this sort of circumstance?
“It’s a tough balance sometimes,” said Busch, who has been the accuser and the accused in similar situations. “You have to know who you’re racing, when you’re racing and what you’re racing for.”
It was Busch’s view that he was racing for the championship — or at least one of four with a shot at it — and that made almost any move, offensive or defensive, acceptable.
Busch now can coast through the next two races at Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway, knowing his final four spot is secure.
He isn’t likely to take it easy, but he and his team don’t have to make the wild sort of charges toward the front that so many attempted Sunday.
Busch’s bigger goal in the race at Texas next Sunday might be avoiding the paybacks that could be coming because of anger overflowing from Martinsville issues.
The Fort Worth track is much bigger and faster, of course, so retribution — if it comes — could be nasty.