Denny Hamlin won the final NASCAR Sprint Cup race before the Chase at Richmond, moving to the top of the standings.
The 2010 Air Guard 400 was a 400-lap NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held at Richmond International Raceway in Virginia. Denny Hamlin won for Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Busch finished second and Jimmie Johnson third. It was the 26th of thirty-six races in the 2010 season and the last before the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Denny Hamlin took the chequered flag first at Richmond on 11 September 2010, and that win carried him to the top of the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings. The race, the 2010 Air Guard 400, was the last contest before the drivers' points were reset for the Chase.
The race began at 7:30 pm EDT and was broadcast live in the United States on ABC. Conditions were sunny before the start, with a temperature of 28 degrees C (82 degrees F). A total of 95,000 people attended, and 5.288 million viewers watched on television.
What was the 2010 Air Guard 400?
The 2010 Air Guard 400 was the 26th race of a thirty-six-race NASCAR season and the final event before the Chase for the Sprint Cup began. It ran 400 laps on a short oval, and Hamlin's victory was his sixth of the year and fifteenth of his career.
Hamlin was also the defending winner at Richmond, so he arrived as the holder of this race's title. Five drivers had already clinched places in the Chase before the green flag, and Hamlin was one of them.
A single win put Hamlin top of the standings as the Chase drew near.
Where was the race held?
The race took place at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. It is one of five short tracks on the NASCAR schedule, and the event used the standard four-turn oval, which is 1.21 km (0.75 miles) long with turns banked at fourteen degrees.
The front stretch, where the finish line sits, is banked at 8 degrees, while the back stretch has 2 degrees of banking.
What was the points picture before the race?
Kevin Harvick led the Drivers' Championship with 3,585 points before the race, ahead of Jeff Gordon on 3,366 and Kyle Busch on 3,325. Five drivers had already clinched Chase places, while Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer were fighting for the last spots. Chevrolet led the Manufacturers' Championship with 182 points, thirty-two ahead of Toyota.
Biffle, 11th on 3,110 points, needed a finish of 42nd or better to secure his place. Bowyer, 12th on 3,066 points, needed to finish 28th or better. Hamlin, the defending race winner, had already clinched his Chase spot.
Who took pole position?
Carl Edwards claimed pole with a time of 21.133 seconds, the sixth pole of his career. Juan Pablo Montoya lined up alongside him on the front row, with A. J. Allmendinger third and Clint Bowyer fourth. Of the forty-eight cars entered, forty-three were able to race.
Two practice sessions were held on the Friday. The first ran for 120 minutes and the second for 45 minutes. Bowyer was quickest in the opening session at 22.007 seconds, while Edwards was fastest in the second session, with Paul Menard and Montoya behind him.
Five drivers failed to qualify: Terry Labonte, Michael McDowell, Todd Bodine, Scott Riggs and Brian Keselowski. Labonte later took over the entry of Mike Bliss, but he had to give up his original starting spot and start from the rear.
Edwards said the pressure was off, which meant drivers could take risks and race harder. Bowyer, who qualified fourth, predicted that teams would gamble on fuel, tyres and strategy, and that drivers would hold track position to keep a shot at the win late on.
How did the race unfold?
Edwards kept the lead from the start until Johnson passed him on lap 51. Hamlin took the lead on lap 110 and went on to lead 251 of the 400 laps. The race had three cautions and fourteen lead changes among six different drivers.
Edwards held the lead into the first corner with Montoya second. Johnson, who started 11th, was seventh by lap 9 and fifth by the fourteenth lap after passing Reutimann. Edwards already led Montoya by 1.31 seconds by lap 12.
Further back, Kenseth went from 12th on the grid to 10th by lap 21, and Kyle Busch was up to twenty-fifth. Kurt Busch, who started 21st, reached 11th by lap 35.
Allmendinger fell to fourth on lap 158 as Bowyer passed him. Harvick moved to eighth on lap 216 with Newman ninth, and Newman passed Stewart for eighth on lap 249. By lap 285 Newman had caught Allmendinger for sixth.
Johnson passed Montoya for second on lap 50 and then Edwards for the lead on lap 51. A flat tire for Reutimann brought the first caution on lap 55, and the lead-lap cars pitted under it. Edwards reclaimed the lead on pit road, and at the lap 62 restart he led Johnson.
Bowyer took the lead from Edwards on lap 100. Hamlin moved into second by lap 107 and passed Bowyer on lap 110 to lead for the first time. By lap 135 his advantage had reached 3.3 seconds. A second caution followed debris from Terry Labonte's collision with the wall, and Kyle Busch had moved up to 10th by lap 137.
After the restart, Johnson led briefly before Hamlin reclaimed the lead. Bowyer passed Hamlin for the lead on lap 172, and Hamlin fell to second on lap 181 in a battle with him. Johnson took second on lap 203 after passing Bowyer, and ten laps later Hamlin led Johnson by 1.2 seconds.
Light rain on lap 226 brought a third caution. Burton, who had stayed out when the other leaders pitted, gave up the lead once he came in. Logano passed Ambrose for 12th on lap 270, and on lap 273 Kenseth reported handling problems to his crew.
Hamlin led Bowyer by 1.3 seconds on lap 309 and stretched that gap to 2.21 seconds within eight laps. Green-flag pit stops began on lap 320. Montoya passed Hamlin for the lead on lap 328 while Hamlin was on pit road, and Hamlin regained the lead four laps later.
Kyle Busch passed Montoya for second on lap 336, and Bowyer took third from Montoya on lap 350. After 359 laps only eighteen cars were on the lead lap. Johnson held third, 2.5 seconds behind Hamlin on lap 380. With twenty laps remaining Hamlin led Kyle Busch by 1.2 seconds, and he held that gap to the flag.
Who finished in the top six?
Denny Hamlin won ahead of Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson. Joey Logano took fourth, Marcos Ambrose fifth and Clint Bowyer sixth. Kyle Busch was Hamlin's teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, and Bowyer's finish secured the last place in the Chase. Logano had moved into 12th on lap 270 and climbed to fourth by the finish.
| Result | Driver | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing; sixth win of 2010 |
| Second | Kyle Busch | Hamlin's teammate |
| Third | Jimmie Johnson | Led briefly on lap 51; pleased with third |
| Fourth | Joey Logano | Passed Ambrose for 12th on lap 270 |
| Fifth | Marcos Ambrose | Ran in the top five at the finish |
| Sixth | Clint Bowyer | Clinched the final Chase spot |
What did the result mean for the championship?
Hamlin led the Drivers' Championship with 5,060 points once the standings were reset for the Chase. Johnson was second on 5,050, ten points behind, and Chevrolet kept its Manufacturers' lead with 188 points. Ten races remained in the season after this one.
Hamlin had begun the Chase ten points ahead of Johnson and thirty points ahead of Kevin Harvick. Johnson was twenty points clear of Harvick, Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch. Stewart and Biffle were tied for sixth, and Kenseth and Bowyer completed the top twelve.
Toyota held second in the Manufacturers' Championship with 159 points, and Ford had 120. Chevrolet's margin was twenty-nine points over Toyota and sixty-eight over Ford. Ford sat fifteen points clear of Dodge in fourth.
Why did the Air National Guard sponsor the race?
The Air National Guard was the race sponsor, and Col. Mary Salcido, its director of recruiting and retention, expected the sponsorship to help the organisation meet its recruitment goals. Salcido pointed to NASCAR's fan base, which she placed among the largest after the NFL.
Salcido said the number of people an event like this reaches runs into the millions.
How did the drivers react after the race?
Hamlin said the season had been up and down, and his team would enter the Chase at the top of the standings. Kyle Busch said his team was not yet winning every week, and Johnson was pleased with third. Bowyer had aimed to win but settled for the points he needed.
Asked whether his car could win regularly, Kyle Busch said not right now, adding that the team was typically a tenth and a half to two tenths of a second off the pace each week. Johnson said he was optimistic about the tracks ahead and felt good about the Chase. Bowyer said he had thought he had a shot at winning, but he fell behind and then chose to protect his place rather than take a risk.
