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Motorsport News: Russ Bonds Weekly Report

Home Run for Hamlin at Pocono!

Any Nextel Cup race is difficult to win, especially these days, as there are so many competitive teams. Five hundred mile races are even harder to win, because the longer the race is the more chances there are to have things go wrong - just ask Carl Edwards after the Pocono 500.

Here is what happened to FedEX Joe Gibbs driver, Denny Hamlin. Hamlin took the pole after never even laying eyes on Pocono before arriving on Thursday. From the pole, Hamlin led the first 49 laps until his left rear Goodyear tire cried enough and blew out heading into the notorious tunnel turn, turn two. Hamlin - all arms and elbows - managed to keep it off the wall, and limped back to the pits under yellow. He made 14 pits stops. Now, you tell me... where did he finish?

He won! Yep, I know it sounds impossible, but he did. For the damage under the yellow he caused, he made 7 pit stops without going a lap down

Hamlin and Stewart put on a good show at Pocono. (Photo: Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)

to repair the damage to the right rear of his car. The Gibbs team did a fantastic job of doing just enough work to keep him on the lead lap. He restarted in 39th.

Some 140 laps later, hes made his way back to the front when Jeff Gordon has a nasty crash in turn 1, bringing out a red flag.

"That was one of the hardest hits Ive ever taken," Gordon said. "One of the worst things you can ever ask for is the brakes to go out in Turn 1 of Pocono."

The cars from sixth on back stop for four tires and fuel - tell me if youve heard this before. You know what happens, the leader stays out, gets overrun by guys on fresh tires, finishes 15th or so.

Not

Hamlin won! Yep, I know it sounds impossible, but he did. (Photo: Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)?

Hamlin, not only did he not stop, he was still the fastest car on the track as he motored to his first - points paying - Nextel Cup win. Kurt Busch was second, a recovering Tony Stewart was third.

"Were trying to get into the Chase and this is a great way to do it," Hamlin said in victory lane.

Back in sixth was one of the two drivers that could have challenged for the win, Greg Biffle. He had a flat from debris of Gordons crash, and had to stop. The other driver that could have challenged was Carl Edwards. His car fell off the jack during a stop - when he was leading - and he went two laps down. He was one lap down when Gordon crashed, but with only ten laps to go there is no lucky dog award, so Edwards restarted 23rd, a lap down, with one of the three cars

Stewart looking invincible, before the race. (Photo: Rusty Jarrett, Getty Images)

that were capable of winning - see, I told you it was tough to win a 500 miler.
With the win, Hamlin makes his way into the top 10, and is now looking good to make the chase. The big loser is Gordon, who drops out of the top 10 due to the crash.

Alonso... Again!

This years Formula 1 season, which featured the British Grand Prix this past weekend, is starting to look pretty redundant every weekend as Renaults - soon to be departing - Fernando Alonso wins, followed by Ferraris Michael Schumacher, and McLaren Mercedes Kimi Raikkonen braking.... wait, heres a news flash... RAIKONNEN FINISHES THIRD!!!

Realistically, Raikkonen should have finished second, but a stunner of an out lap by Michael Schumacher after his first stop allowed him to leap frog Raikkonen for second - that is why hes a seven time

Alonso leads the pack... whadya know? (Photo: Renault F1)

World Champion.

"It is fantastic to win in Silverstone, after winning in Spain and Monaco," Alonso said after the race, and collecting the 99th Grand Prix win for Michelin. "Winning the last two was a dream come true. They are circuits with big names and great emotion in the grandstands. To win in this country, 20 minutes from my home in Oxford, is a really good feeling. Its been a fantastic day. We are on the limit with our car, but the reliability is fantastic. We have to take advantage of that. And the best defense from now on will be attacking."

Thats pretty much how it is, and hell probably stay at the front for the duration of the season, but the mid-pack runners are where all the action is. How about Canadas Jacques Villeneuve, who is looking racier each weekend? Villeneuve - who was married last week twice, once in Switzerland and once in France (I guess its a U-rope-een thingy) was even sporting a just married sign on the back of his Sauber BMW on Friday. Villeneuve

JV was definitely looking racy at Silverstone. (Photo: BMW Sauber F1)

held the provisional pole for much of the first, and part of the second qualifying sessions before being relegated to 10th. JV raced well, and came home with a well deserved point as he heads into his home Grand Prix in two weeks time.

"Nico Rosberg got me because at the start into turn one Juan Pablo Montoya and myself crashed in what was a racing incident," Villeneuve started off by saying after the race. "I was on the inside and he was following another car on the outside," he added. "He came across the track, took his line but couldnt see I was there. I locked my wheels and ran into him, but luckily there was no damage. I was stuck behind Nico for three quarters of the race, which was a shame but he wasnt making any mistakes. It was a good fight, but when I saw him come into the pits three laps before me for the last pit stop I really took some big risks on those laps on old tires. To get two cars in the points today, not because people didnt finish the race, but because we raced strongly is good for Montreal. People told me married men go slower, but I think it is

"People told me married men go slower, but I think it is the opposite!" commented Villeneuve. (Photo: BMW Sauber F1)

the opposite!"

The other North American, Scott Speed probably hasnt heard the last of the British GP yet, as his punt of Toyotas Ralf Schumacher, will probably win him some kind of an award from the Stewards - hopefully this time he will accept the penalty and move on.

"I had a really awesome start and got past Tonio and Christian," Speed said. "I tried to get by Ralf as well in the left hander at Becketts, as he seemed not to have got a good start and I had a lot of grip. I came up alongside him in the right hand part and then we just got tangled up together as I went round the outside of him. I dont think he was expecting me to be there. It was just a racing incident, but unfortunately it was the end of our day, as I had bent a track-rod."

Speed is probably anxious to get to Indy as it looks like the long straights could be a match for the V10 in the back of his Torro Rosso, just like it was at the season opener in Bahrain.

Just the same, Speed wasnt the big loser in Britain, it was the Isles own Jensen Button, who not only was turfed in the first qualifying session, but also blew and engine in the race, ending an impressive run

American Torro Rosso (Red Bull) driver Scott Speed probably hasnt heard the last of the British GP yet. (Photo: GEPA pictures, Franz Pammer)

through the back markers. Fans were noticeably dour after their man went out, but theres always next year. No doubt, with such a long contract with Honda, Button is hoping for improvements so that he can finally make a run for the championship, let alone win a single race - that milestone still eluding him.

With the results of the British Grand Prix, Alonso extends his drivers championship lead over Schumacher by a further two points; 74 to 51. Raikkonen is another 18 adrift on 33. In the constructors standings, Renault breaks through the 100 barrier, heading Ferrari by 106 points to 75, with McLaren at 59.

Forsythe and Dominguez Decide to Part Ways

Forsythe Championship Racing and Mario Dominguez have announced that they will part ways immediately. Dominguez said, "My management and I have decided that it is in the best interest of my career to part ways with Forsythe Championship Racing.  I was in a position where playing # 2 in the team was not what I wanted to do this early in the Championship, so I believe whats best for my career is to go somewhere where I can be a leader." Also leaving his team is A.J. Allmendinger from RuSport, who will replaced him with Championship winner Cristiano da Matta.

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