Checkered Countdown: Top-Five Martinsville Finishes

No. 4 Denny Hamlin comes from tenth to first in a handful of laps (2010).

Sometimes it requires a great effort by a great driver to win even after a bad strategy call. In 2010 Hamlin was leading late, until a caution put him and his team in a difficult position. He decided to pit but most of the other lead lap cars did the opposite, shuffling him back in tenth. With the restart coming with just four laps to go, Hamlin started shaping his masterpiece. Helped by the fact that he was restarting on the inside, the preferred line at the Paperclip, he furiously began making passes.

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With two to go though he was still fourth but just as they were coming to the white flag, the caution was out again. It was his chance. In the following Green-White-Checkered he drove very aggressively to win it. He immediately bumped Newman wide in turn one and got up to third. Then the JGR driver took advantage of the contact between Gordon and Matt Kenseth in turn three to take the lead. It was a perfect scenario for Hamlin who won the race and turned a bad call in a good result.