MARTINSVILLE, Va. (December 29, 2010) – Denny Hamlin’s late-race charge to the front in last spring’s Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway kept fans on their feet and competitors shaking their heads in disbelief.
Nine months later, the race and Hamlin’s performance are still drawing rave reviews. Tuesday the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 was named one of the five most memorable races of the year by NASCAR.com as part of a year-end series of stories.
In case anyone has forgotten, Hamlin was leading the race with 10 laps to go when Jeff Burton’s blown tire brought out a caution. Hamlin gave up the lead for fresh tires and most thought his chances for a win for doomed. He put those new tires to work, though. He pushed, shoved and dodged his way through traffic to move to fourth when Kyle Busch slammed into the third-turn wall and brought out the final caution of the day forcing a green-white-checkered finish.
Hamlin watched on the final restart as second-place Matt Kenseth knocked leader Jeff Gordon out of the way, only to be repaid a turn later. The retaliation cost Gordon, though, as Hamlin slipped by for the win, his first the season.
“I had to bully my way through there toward the end, but everybody was just running into everyone,” said Hamlin, who would up with eight wins on the season. “I flattened my tires with Kenseth going down the backstretch and just somehow made it work.”
“It was Martinsville Speedway racing at its best,” Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell said of the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. “It was wild racing all day long. That’s what fans expect when they come to Martinsville.”
They can expect more of the same on April 3 when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars return to Martinsville Speedway for the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500. The Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race is scheduled for April 2.
Tickets for the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 begin at $25 and may be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.
