Hamlin rallies late for Sprint Cup win

The promise of Denny Hamlin’s season showed itself for the first time on Monday.

Days away from knee surgery and battling on one of NASCAR’s most difficult tracks, Hamlin won his way back into contention with an impressive victory in the rain-delayed Goody’s 500 Sprint Cup race at Martinsville, Va., Speedway.

Hamlin had been a preseason favorite by many to challenge Jimmie Johnson in his quest for a fifth consecutive championship. But through the season’s first five races, Hamlin hadn’t finished better than 17th.

Add to that Hamlin’s decision during the weekend to go ahead with surgery this week for a torn ACL in his left knee, and a dark cloud seemed to settle around his title chances.

Monday a flicker of light shined on the Virginia native’s season. The win in overtime – he was fourth on the re-start with three laps to go – is the ninth of Hamlin’s Cup career and third overall and second straight at Martinsville Speedway.

Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano was second, with Jeff Gordon, who was literally feet from taking the white flag when the last yellow flew, third.

Johnson was never in contention to win, but finished ninth and assumed the points lead by 14 over Matt Kenseth.

Honda Grand Prix

Will Power has won the rain-delayed Honda Grand Prix in St. Petersburg, Fla., his second IndyCar victory in as many races this season.

Power and Justin Wilson ran away from the field late, but Wilson could never make a great run at the lead in the final laps. Power prevailed by nearly a full second Monday, with Ryan Briscoe third and Helio Castroneves one spot behind him – that duo giving Penske Racing three of the top four places.

Power was the polesitter after qualifying Saturday, and was the fastest in every practice session but one all weekend.

The race was scheduled for Sunday before thunderstorms put much of the 1.8-mile street circuit under water. A total of 4.03 inches of rain fell in a span of about 19 hours, but the course was fairly dry when the green flag fell Monday morning.

NHRA Four-Wide

John Force raced to the Funny Car victory Monday at the rain-delayed finals of the inaugural NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C.

Force’s second victory of the season came in the first four-lane – instead of the traditional two – event in NHRA history.

He powered his Ford Mustang to a 4.036 second run at a top speed of 316.23 mph to finish ahead of his daughter, Ashley Force Hood, Ron Capps and Matt Hagan. It was Force’s 128th career victory.

The 60-year-old Force, who had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2009, leads the points race by 89.

Cory McClenathan (Top Fuel), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners in an event postponed Sunday by rain.