Rookie Hamlin completes Pocono sweep

LONG POND, Pa. – Denny Hamlin completed the Pocono sweep on Sunday, blowing away the field for an easy second victory that pushed the rookie into championship contention.

While Hamlin was cruising around Pocono Raceway, teammate Tony Stewart nearly self-destructed and Dale Earnhardt Jr. took another hit in his pursuit of the Nextel Cup title.

Stewart, the two-time and defending Nextel Cup champion, was black-flagged early in the race for intentionally wrecking Clint Bowyer.

Earnhardt, meanwhile, is out of the top 10 after a hit from Dave Blaney sent him into the wall and out of the race. He finished 43rd for the second straight week and needed almost 30 minutes to cool off before coming out of his transporter.

Third in the points two weeks ago, Junior is now 11th in the standings with just six races to go to qualify for the Chase.

“What am I supposed to do?” he wondered. “My motor blows up (last week) and now I got wrecked. I don’t know what else to do.”

Hamlin doesn’t have such worries – not after scoring his second career victory.

Hamlin led 151 of the 200 laps in what turned into a leisurely Sunday drive for one of NASCAR’s budding young stars.

He’s eighth in the points and if he can hang on another six weeks, Hamlin will find himself racing for the Nextel Cup title.

Kurt Busch finished second and was followed by Jeff Gordon, Brian Vickers, Kevin Harvick and points leader Jimmie Johnson.

Stewart, Bobby Labonte, Jeff Burton and Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the top 10.