Say what, yes you read the headline correctly, they combined to win the AT&T 250 in Milwaukee and what a race this one was. Under the lights in Milwaukee really doesn’t make for a huge race most of the time, but for what transpired all thoughout this race, it sure did.When you take double duty Nextel (or Sprint) Cup drivers and through them in with having to quickly fly cross country from the road course in Sonoma where they drove the Car Of Tomorrow and try and end up in Milwaukee on time and get them to drive a completely different car with no practice, that makes for one long, interesting night. However since Denny Hamlin was in Sonoma, Aric Almirola had to practice and qualify the #20 Chevy grabbing the pole in the process, you would think since Hamlin was still in the air, Aric Almirola would be able to drive it. Green flag and there under way with Almirola on pole and running in the top 3 just behind leader Carl Edwards who just made it in time for the race and then it happens, one move that had everyone questioning just what they were thinking, Hamlin arrives and 60 laps in, pulls Almirola out of his 3rd place car and in goes Hamilin now a lap down.
I have to say, between watching a couple of mistakes on pit road, the stupidest call of the race on pit road and some Busch Series regulars making some noise, this one got good in a hurry. Both Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards had to not only make there laps up during this one, but had to come up through the field twice to try and have a shot at the victory while Busch regulars were showing what they can do. For Hamlin slicing and nearly missing several cars passing on his way up to the front was pure entertainment and using the outside line to boot, what a show. By the end of this one, it looked like once leader Denny Hamlin was just going to run out of time with Scott Wimmer pulling away, but with so many caution flags at the end of this one, that gave Hamlin the shot he need to grab the lead and never look back as took the victory.
To everyone including me, the bigger questions were one being why did the team decide to take out Aric Almirola and put in Denny Hamlin 60 laps into the race when Almirola was running 2nd or 3rd and who really won the race? Like I said earlier in this one, the move to replace Aric Almirola was not the correct call at all, it was his car, but it was said on the broadcast that this was the sponsers home area and they wanted to see Hamlin win, so a sponser took this kids shot for his first victory away, damn that’s not right. Second, nevertheless, this is still is Aric Almirola’s first victory (at least in the record books) despite the fact that Denny Hamlin was in the car, relief drivers don’t get credited with the victory, what a way to go, again no victory lane, no celibration for a first victory, no wonder he was upset after lap 60 and that on top…
What a good race, especially for under the lights in Milwaukee, that one could have gone so many different ways, so it an Almirola/Hamlin overall victory, now were in sports car racing, oh wait that’s next on my DVR… See Yeah! (Image Credit: Racingone.com)
