JOLIET, Ill. — Denny Hamlin earned a surprise automatic berth into the second round of NASCAR’s playoffs by rallying from last to victory lane Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway in the opening race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
Kevin Harvick’s hopes at a repeat season championship were decidedly in danger after contact with Jimmie Johnson on a restart ultimately led him to crash.
Johnson went to Harvick’s motorhome to speak to Harvick, but Harvick walked out of the bus and shoved Johnson in the chest with a closed fist.
Harvick was separated from the six-time champion, but Johnson pointed at Harvick, who was restrained from getting at Johnson a second time.
Harvick’s wife, DeLana, exited a waiting car to walk over to the bickering drivers and Harvick eventually retreated to the backseat of the car as Johnson walked away.
Harvick is last in the 16-driver field, and four drivers will be cut from the Chase in two weeks. Asked what he needs to do to stay in contention, he was blunt: “We’ve just got to go win one of these next two races.”
Hamlin is in coast mode for the next two races, at New Hampshire and then Dover, because his victory moves him into the second round. Only 12 drivers will advance into the second round, and a victory in any Chase race earns an automatic berth.
“Go have some fun the next two weeks, that’s for sure. Takes some pressure off of us,” Hamlin said about his strategy for the next two weeks.
It was a bit of a surprise win considering Hamlin — driving with a torn right anterior cruciate ligament — had a horrible opening day of practice that cost him when qualifying was rained out Friday. The field was set by practice speed and Hamlin was 29th at the start.
He then spun trying to pick his way through traffic on the second lap, dropped a lap down and was last in the field.
But he and his JGR team didn’t panic, then used a gutsy call not to pit during the final caution to give Hamlin a shot at the victory.
He jumped from third to first on the restart with five laps remaining, and gave JGR its ninth win in the last 12 races. JGR has won three consecutive Sprint Cup races, and celebrated an Xfinity Series victory on Saturday with Kyle Busch.
Carl Edwards rallied from a speeding penalty to finish second and give JGR and Toyota a 1-2 finish.
Kurt Busch, who was headed for the win until the final caution was called with 10 laps remaining, was third.
Ryan Newman, who used consistency to race his way into the championship round last year, was fourth and Kenseth was fifth to give JGR three drivers in the top-five.
Johnson finished 11th.
