Hamlin wins third straight at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) — Denny Hamlin passed Kevin Harvick for the lead with 29 laps to go Sunday and won his third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway.

Hamlin became the first driver since Jimmie Johnson to sweep both races on the smallest track in NASCAR’s premier series, and both he and Harvick closed the gap on Johnson in the points race with four races remaining. Hamlin trails by just six points, Harvick by 62.

Harvick finished third after Mark Martin passed him in the closing laps, but Harvick still had his best showing in 19 career starts at the track. He’d never been better than seventh.

Johnson, the four-time defending champion, rallied to finish fifth.

Full story appears in Monday’s edition of The Vindicator.