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
Hamlin earns KBM their first NCWTS win of 2012 Hamlin earns KBM their first NCWTS win of 2012 Reviewed by Katy Lindamood on Saturday, October 27, 2012 Rating: 5