Denny Hamlin Continues Michigan Run With Heluva Good! Win

Denny Hamlin continued his recent Michigan Speedway domination with another win in the 2011 Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400. Hamlin has ruled racing on the 2-mile D-shaped oval for two seasons now and is showing no signs of slowing.

Qualifying

Kurt Busch qualified on the pole for the third straight race. David Reutimann started next to him in the second spot.

Matt Kenseth and Brian Vickers made up row number two with Regan Smith rounding out the top five.

Drop Of The Green

Kurt picked te outside lane for the start and won the battle through turns one and two to lead a single-file race down the backstretch.

Kurt continued to lead through the first caution until Greg Biffle got a run on the bottom and took the lead on lap twelve.

The rest of the early going was pretty quietas Biffle ruled the rest of the early going.

Storylines

Denny Hamlin has been Mr. Michigan in recent years. Some stats about today's Michigan win:

• This was Denny's 17th career Sprint Cup Win
• Hamlin is tied for 44th on the all-time win list
• In addition to today's win Hamlin finished first and second in the two 2010 Michigan races
• This was Hamlin's fifth top-ten Michigan finish in a row

Chasing The Checkers

Carl Edwards had the lead over Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth as the laps were clicking away under green before Dale Earnhardt Jr. hit the wall and brought out the final caution.

When the final green flag flew Denny Hamlin lead the field back to the green with Matt Kenseth beside him and Carl Edwards in third.

Just five laps remained as Kenseth spun the tires on the resart and let Hamlin get away a little into turn one.

Kenseth reeled him in and got to his back bumper as they took the white flag. Kenseth tried the outside in turn one but couldn't make it stick on the outside. Kenseth tried again on the bottom in three but Denny Hamlin held him off for the win.

Top Ten

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Matt Kenseth
3. Kyle Busch
4. Paul Menard
5. Carl Edwards
6. Ryan Newman
7. Tony Stewart
8. Clint Bowyer
9. Mark Martin
10. Brian Vickers

The Points

Carl Edwards' lead returned to double-digits as he leads Kevin Harvick by twenty points. Harvick jumped up two spots to second as Jimmie Johnson's troubles caused him to slip all the way to fifth.

Denny Hamli found his way into the top ten with the win as Tony Stewart fell to eleventh in points.

The 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Standings:

1. Carl Edwards
2. Kevin Harvick -20
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -27
4. Kyle Busch -29
5. Jimmie Johnson -29
6. Matt Kenseth -41
7. Kurt Busch -41
8. Ryan Newman -76
9. Denny Hamlin -77
10. Clint Bowyer -77