I’m not even going to comment on the title of the Race Formerly Known As the Michigan 400. If I were, I might point out that exclamation marks in the title of a race is one of the signs of Armageddon. Good thing I’m not commenting.
How is Denny Hamlin only third in the Sprint Cup points right now? He’s won twice in a row. He’s won five races already this year. That’s more than the two leaders – Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch – combined.
The Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 (still not commenting) was absolutely Hamlin’s race from the early going. At one point, he was a full nine seconds in front of the nearest competitor, which is nearly an eternity in race car terms. It took a caution flag to erode his huge lead, but he looked completely in control from then on. (He wound up winning by a little more than a second, still a significant lead at 200+ mph).
Sprint Cup scoring is a funny thing. Consider that Dale Earnhardt Jr. hasn’t even caught a whiff of victory lane this year, and he’s only two spots and less than 100 points out of the running. Half the drivers in the Chase at this point have not won a single race this season, and four drivers who have won are not in the Chase at all.
With 15 races down and 21 to go, Jimmie Johnson is sitting in sixth place and hasn’t won a race in two and a half months. Meanwhile Hamlin is so hot right now he looks unstoppable. It is a long season, and much could still happen. Every week brings changes to the Cup Chase and things are bunching up behind the leaders with seven drivers within 200 points of the lead and (at least) eight drivers within striking distance of the final spot.
