The Sprint Cup Series championship picture is constantly changing. Teams go from contenders to pretenders and vice versa. There are drivers who get hot at the right time and charge into the Chase.
Perhaps rarely though, if ever
before, had a championship picture changed so dramatically than five races into
the season. But when Denny Hamlin crashed on the final lap in the final corner
of the Auto Club Speedway two weeks ago, that’s exactly what happened. The
crash, involving new foe / old teammate Joey Logano, resulted in Hamlin
suffering a compression fracture to the L1 vertebra in his back.
The diagnosis puts Hamlin out
of his No. 11 FedEx Toyota for a minimum of five weeks. Taking him out of Chase
contention, at least temporarily. Mark Martin will sub for Hamlin at
Martinsville and Brian Vickers will be the driver starting at Texas. Hamlin was
sitting 10th in points leaving California and will now start to slide backwards
with ever race he misses.
Except, it’s not impossible for
Hamlin to make the Chase when he returns. The most important thing will be for
him to win and try to get himself in the top 20 in points. From there, thanks
in part to NASCAR’s new wildcard rule in which drivers who are outside the top
10 in points but have a win, Hamlin could get a Chase spot.
The good news is that some of
Hamlin’s best tracks will be ahead of him when he returns. Thus making it
difficult, but not impossible for him to make the 2013 Chase for the
Championship, something he’s done every season since he’s been in the NSCS.
It will be a few weeks though,
before any of that can be set in motion. In the meantime, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
leads the points as teammate Jimmie Johnson looks for another Martinsville win.
Danica Patrick is struggling early in her Rookie season and Tony Stewart made
it clear, again, that he’s not a fan of blocking.
But …
What if Denny Hamlin comes back from his injury and makes a charge into the Chase, will he be the story of the year?
@HD388 without question if @dennyhamlin makes the Chase after coming back from injury it is the story of the year. I think the only story bigger than Hamlin coming back to make the Chase would be if Junior wins the title
@WilliamCheerboy No because it'll be impossible
@JoJo_6040 Depends on who might win the championship. He'd definitely be one if not the biggest stories & probably for years to come
