MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Denny Hamlin and crew chief Mike Ford were in a tough spot, leading a race with a dominant car and eight laps to go when a caution forced a decision.
If they headed for pit road, the cars right behind them would stay on the track, gambling they could win a short sprint to the finish on old tires. And if they stayed on the track, the rest would pit, get fresh tires and surely run them down.
They picked pit road, and Hamlin made it work Monday in a remarkable finish at Martinsville Speedway, rallying from ninth place to win on a two-lap sprint on the shortest, oldest track in NASCAR.
Hamlin passed Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth and leader Jeff Gordon following the final restart to earn his third career victory there.
• John Force raced to victory in funny car at the rain-delayed finals of the inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at Concord, N.C.
Force’s second victory of the season came in the first four-lane, instead of the traditional two, event in NHRA history.
Cory McClenathan (top fuel), Mike Edwards (pro stock) and Matt Smith (pro stock motorcycle) also were winners.
• Will Power won the rain-delayed Honda Grand Prix at St. Petersburg, Fla., for his second victory in as many IndyCar events this year. Power went to the front after a restart on the 78th of 100 laps, then stayed there the rest of the way and held off Justin Wilson by nearly a full second.
Auburn recruit has cancer •
Auburn coach Gene Chizik says football signee Shon Coleman is dealing with a medical issue.
While Chizik did not provide details after Monday’s practice, the offensive lineman’s mother, DeKeisha Tunstall, posted on her Facebook page that Coleman had been recently diagnosed with a form of cancer. She wrote that he was “taking his chemotherapy treatment like a champ.”
• A redshirt freshman football player at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, died after sustaining a head injury during spring practice.
Tarleton spokeswoman Liza Benedict says 18-year-old Zach Shaver died at a Fort Worth hospital Monday, two days after he was injured at the Division II school.
Venus Williams rallies to win •
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. — Venus Williams sent a 121-mph serve that handcuffed Daniela Hantuchova to wrap up a 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory to reach the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open after winning the final seven points.
Top-ranked Roger Federer beat Florent Serra 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3) in men’s play.
Footnotes.
WNBA star Cappie Pondexter is headed to the New York Liberty as part of a major three-team trade. The league champion Phoenix Mercury has a deal in place to send the all-star guard to New York for Shameka Christon and Cathrine Kraayeveld. Christon and Kraayeveld will be shipped to Chicago for all-star Candice Dupree.
• U.S. Olympic luger Tony Benshoof will have surgery today to correct a reruptured disc and repair a newly torn disc in his back.
The Associated Press
