Hamlin Wins Busch Pole Award in St. Louis

With the last two weeks producing two top-five finishes, and Denny Hamlin coming off his second Nextel Cup victory of the season, the #20 Rockwell Automation / JGR Busch Team headed to the egg-shaped mile and a quarter track at Gateway International Raceway.  The team had been enjoying their new found momentum throughout the month of July, and hoped to carry it into the Busch Series Silver Celebration 250 held just outside of St. Louis, Missouri.

With the Nextel Cup Series having their last off-weekend of the year, Hamlin would only have to focus on one racecar during the weekend.  It was apparent from the time the team unloaded the #20 Monte Carlo for Friday night’s first practice session that the Rockwell Automation Chevy was going to be the car to beat.  By the end of first practice the team had the car posting the fastest lap times on the track and was looking forward to a successful Saturday qualifying run.  With storms in the St. Louis area, and an early qualifying draw, there was a little concern of if and how well the team could back up their practice runs in qualifying.  Denny Hamlin removed any doubt by posting a lap of 33.370 (134.852 mph), a full tenth of a second faster than any other qualifier.  The time would be the best all day and the #20 team won its sixth Busch Pole Award of the 2006 campaign.    

Storms and inclement weather would delay the start of the race by an hour and forty minutes, and when the green flag finally dropped at 9:54 pm many wondered how the track would hold up throughout the race.  Hamlin quickly took the lead from the pole position and began his march away from the pack.  He would end up leading the first 111 laps and 169 overall as the night progressed.  Solid green flag pit stops and car management by Denny Hamlin kept the car in the lead until Lap 112 when an untimely caution flew keeping the #20 on the lead lap, but in second position.  The next 70 laps were filled with high energy racing as Hamlin and driver Carl Edwards fought for the lead amongst lapped traffic.  Three-wide racing and passing on all sides was common place as Hamlin and Edwards continued to vie for position.  

With only two cautions throughout the night, all of the lead lap cars were going to have to pit with roughly 20 to go in order to have enough fuel to finish.  As the leader’s crew chiefs were contemplating what the best strategy to end the race, laps continued to tick off.  Finally at lap 178, Carl Edwards was the first to duck on pit road for a two tire stop.  As other pit strategy’s played out, the #20 car remained on the track until lap 187 when Hamlin pitted for a fuel only stop.  After just a splash of gas, Hamlin returned to the track with a six second lead, but lapped traffic and the two tires of Edwards proved to be too much and Hamlin was forced to surrender the lead on lap 194.  Hamlin would lose one more position on the final lap and come home in third.

“I feel like we gave one away tonight,” said Hamlin after the race.  “It is rare that you have a car this dominant, and when you do you want to make sure you drive into victory lane.  Although, the last couple weeks we have seen the best car of the race pit too early and end up a lap down when the caution comes out.  But this was some of the best racing I have had in a long time.  Normally when a fast car passes you they just check out.  But racing with Carl, it seemed like he would pass me and then I would catch him and pass him.  It was some great racing.”