Greg Biffle's pit crew had it working Sunday as the No. 16 Ford led more laps than any other car at the AAA Texas 500, gtiving Biffle his eigth top-five finish in 2010. (Photo: Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, Texas – Driving back to the hotel room after writing about Denny Hamlin’s victory in the AAA Texas 500, I suddenly wanted to kick myself.
Greg Biffle led 224 of the 334 laps and probably would’ve won the Texas Motor Speedway race had it not been for late-race transmission problems that hampered his No. 16 Ford on restarts.
I barely mentioned Biffle. In fairness, there was so much to cover. So much happened.
Hamlin overtook Jimmie Johnson in the Sprint Cup standings. Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, replaced the pit crew late in the race. Two of NASCAR’s model citizens, Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton, exchanged blows on the back straight after an inexplicable crash that occurred under caution.
Kyle Busch eliminated himself from contention because he flashed an obscene gesture at a NASCAR official and was promptly penalized two laps for what amounted to unsportsmanlike conduct (the official “list of infractions” listed it as “obscene gesture”). Hamlin won after a battle royal with Matt Kenseth in the final three laps.
For many of those watching, the race was more fun than a barrel of monkeys, which was strangely appropriate since Texas Motor Speedway’s colorful track president, Eddie Gossage, recruited actual monkeys to sell programs at the track.
Hamlin only leads Johnson, champion four years running, by 33 points. Kevin Harvick (-59) isn’t out of it, either. But Hamlin is trending upward, and Johnson is trending downward, though only mildly. Johnson’s finishes have declined over the past seven races, even though each finish was in the top 10. Johnson, who has made history by putting up astonishing numbers in the 10 races that comprise the Chase, suddenly has a profile of consistency that could be inadequate to the task of securing a fifth championship.
And, on Nov. 14 at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz., all that could change, too.
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