Hamlin wins at Pocono, takes 4th victory of the season (6-28-20)
By: Becca Cottingham
Headline Photo Courtesy: Matt Slocum/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Network
We are back at Pocono for the first ever doubleheader that was scheduled. We started behind schedule due to lightning in the area. Once everyone got on the track again Kurt Busch took a commanding lead until a rain shower happened to bring out the first caution in four laps. This maybe saving Tyler Reddick who appears to have thrown a belt. We ended up under another weather delay. Michael McDowell brought out the caution from a hard crash after a right rear went down due to scraping the wall. We get back under green and Kurt Busch is still leading the way. His car seems to be enjoying the fresh clear air up front. We do have multiple drivers hitting pit road for tires and fuel just before the stage comes to the end. Kurt Busch and Ryan Blaney run into lap traffic. Ryan tries his best to catch Kurt Busch and comes up just shy. Kurt Busch wins his first stage win of 2020 at the end of stage one.
We go back to racing and Ryan Blaney takes over the lead. However, just a few laps in and Christopher Bell has an incident of the track and brings out another caution. Multiple cars take the chance to come down pit road for fuel and tires which should allow them to make it through stage two with no additional stops. Witg multiple strategies happening when Ricky Stenhouse Jr lost the back end it allowed other drivers to come down pit road for needed service. At the end of stage two it is looking similar to Saturday’s race with Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick at the front of the pack. Only difference this time is that Denny is doing the leading. The question is will tonight be the night Denny beats Kevin Harvick at Pocono? We will have to wait and see what happens in stage three. Just prior to end of stage two Kyle Busch crashes hard and appears to be out of the game. This crash change the line up some and Brad Keselowski will win stage two.
We start stage three and it does not take long for the battle of Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin to start again. However, Kevin Harvick falls back while Denny Hamlin shows the way. Drivers skipped pitting at the end of stage two start coming down pit road with a little over twenty to go. It all cycled back out to Denny Hamlin leading and Kevin Harvick second. Tonight Kevin Harvick did not have enough for Denny Hamlin and he will score his fourth win of the season.
