Hamlin earns KBM their first NCWTS win of 2012

Credit: Katy Lindamood/Skirts and Scuffs

Denny Hamlin only led six circuits in Saturday's Kroger 200, but they were the six most important laps of the race. Hamlin took the lead after the final caution, earning his second straight Martinsville victory and the first for the team this year.

Timothy Peters dominated the first quarter of the event leading 59 laps while Kevin Harvick led 101 laps before a flat tire forced him to pit road for an unscheduled stop. Peters went on to finish seventh and Harvick 12th. Matt Crafton took the lead after Harvick’s stop, leading the next 33 laps en route to a fourth-place finish.

Brazilian native Nelson Piquet Jr. pushed the limits earning a second-place finish. Piquet told members of the media that coming from a Formula 1 background, Martinsville has always been a concern. Admitting he may have been a bit too aggressive this weekend he said it’s all about learning the limits and adjusting.

The big story of the race wasn't the win or aggressive driving, but the shakeup in the points standings. Ty Dillon, who came into the race leading by a single point, experienced a tire failure, bringing out a caution and forcing the driver to pit multiple times for repairs. Dillon finished 28th, six laps down. James Buescher’s sixth-place run puts him into the championship lead by 21 points with only three races left, two of which are on mile-and-a-half tracks where he’s dominated in 2012.

Ryan Truex, who made his series debut, experienced transmission issues and finished 32nd.

Results:

1. Hamlin
2. Piquet Jr.
3. Coulter
4. Crafton
5. Riggs
6. Buescher
7. Peters
8. Blaney
9. Kligerman
10. Scott
11. Gresham
12. Harvick
13. White
14. Sauter
15. Paludo
16. Starr
17. Richards
18. Townley
19. Lofton
20. Sellers
21. Agnew
22. Bodine
23. Chastain
24. Holman
25. Greenfield
26. Sieg
27. George Jr.
28. Dillon
29. Silas
30. Young
31. Benning
32. Truex
33. Hornaday Jr.
34. Merrell
35. Gale
36. Fontaine