8B McCreary County Record, Tuesday, April 24, 2012, Whitley City, Kentucky NASCAR News Hamlin wins at Kansas I 2nd sprint Cup win of season

By Gerald Hodges/the ing laps to score a con- Racing Reporter vincing 5.320-second vic- Kansas City, KS— tory over , got his with three laps left in second Sprint Cup win of Saturday’s SFP 250 at the season, by passing . Martin Truex with 30- Brad Kesekowski, Nel- laps to go in the 267-lap son Piquet, , race, then holding off two Ron Hornaday, Justin hard challenges by Lofton, Parker Kliger- Truex. man, , and “The car was good, but were the the team really freed it remaining top-10 finish- up about midway, and ers. from then on, we were Top-10 leaders after 4 able to run up front,” said of 22: 1. Peters-163, 2. Hamlin. “It was a great Buescher-159, 3. Lofton- team effort. When I 152, 4. T. Dillon-149, 5. started to catch Martin, I Piquet-140, 6. Kliger- was wondering if I had man-137, 7. Hornaday- enough car to get by him. 129, 8. King-124, 9. “We were getting all White-120, 10. Crafton- we could there at the end, 115. and it was just enough to “Too white” driver keep him from getting rejected by back around us. NASCAR It was Hamlin’s first Michael Rodriguez, a victory at the 1.5-mile Hispanic driver from Kansas track, and the Pennsylvania, filed a 19th of his career. complaint in U.S. District “I feel sorry for Martin Court, alleging that and (car NASCAR denied him op- owner). I know they portunity to compete in needed a win, but so did the 2005 and 2006 Drive we.” For Diversity, because he Truex drove a great was “too white.” race and led the most Rodriguez stated in laps, and even though he his complaint that he be- mounted two late-race lieves he was discrimi- challenges with three nated against because of laps to go, it wasn’t his light complexion. Ac- enough to catch the cording to his claim, he is speedy Hamlin. of Puerto Rican and After a late round of Spanish descent and green-flag pit stops put identifies himself as all the leaders on the Puerto Rican. He states same sequence, the sun in his claim that he is broke through the clouds blue-eyed and fair- and changed the com- skinned. plexion of the race. NASCAR’s Drive for Until the last 40 laps, Diversity program was Truex had been domi- created to develop minor- nant; having led 173 ity drivers and crewmen laps, but the changing and help them advance weather conditions through the NASCAR Denny Hamlin, winner of Sunday's Cup race at Kansas caused a handling prob- ranks with the goal of Furnished by lem with his No. 56 reaching the sport’s top sire was to pan across pit been living in Kansas that’s ever happened to time: 7 pm ET; TV: series. It was adminis- road and see minority City part time while rais- me in my life.” ESPN2. Toyota. tered by Access Commu- drivers and minority ing funds for the camp. John McKee, presi- Sat., Apr. 28, Sprint Cup “Something happened nications. crewmen. … When you “They gave me not one dent of Victory Junction Richmond 400, race 9 of to our car, I don’t know NASCAR puts most of talk about changing the reason. They said they and who was hired by 36; Starting time: 7 pm what.” said Truex. “When the onus on Access as far face of NASCAR, color wanted to make a Pattie Petty, said he has ET; TV: FOX. we came out of the pits as the legal liability for weighs very heavily.” change, and I’m not sure been instructed by the Racing Trivia Question: on that last set of tires, it Who drives the No. 3 choosing diversity driv- Pattie Petty ousted what I did wrong, but the board not to have any was different. We had truck in the Camping ers, but NASCAR also at Victory Junction word came back to me I comment “because there lost some of our . World Truck Series? backed Access attorneys, If the planned Victory was making irrational is an ongoing employ- Until the end, we were Last Week’s Question: who stated in their sum- Junction Midwest be- decisions. ment negotiation.” running so well. We were Who is the oldest driver mary judgment brief that comes a reality, it likely “Two board members Weekend Racing: It’s on the fastest car on the to Richmond’s .75-mile still running a partial “the act of excluding (Ro- will be without the help who wanted me to leave track. short track for the Cup Cup schedule? Answer. driguez) from an affirma- of Pattie Petty, the driv- gave me an ultimatum to “I feel like we just gave and Nationwide teams. . He will be tive action program ing force who created the never go to the camp, not one away today.” The trucks do not race 57 years old in May. because he appeared to original NASCAR- talk to anybody with the fin- again until May 18. You may contact the be Caucasian is consis- themed camp in North camp. It was probably ished third, but he never Fri., Apr., 27, Nationwide Racing Reporter at tent with NASCAR’s Carolina for children the most hurtful thing contended for the lead. 250, race 7 of 33; Starting [email protected]. stated goals of recruiting with chronic diseases. was drivers who would The Victory Junction fourth, while his team- change the face of board of directors has in- mate, , last NASCAR and make it formed Petty, wife of for- week’s winner was fifth. look more like America.” mer NASCAR driver “It’s not the finish we Access attorney and daughter- wanted,” said Biffle. “We Dhamian Blue followed in-law of Hall of Famer were hoping for another later, reiterating what , that she win, but we were a little Access argued in its sum- will no longer be part of off. The nose was sliding mary judgment brief, the day-to-day operations around, and we were saying that the color of a of the camp. The board loose at times.” driver’s skin can be has offered her emeritus , Dale proper criteria for an af- status, but she is balking Earnhardt Jr., Kasey firmative action plan. at serving in a purely cer- Kahne, , “NASCAR recognized emonial role. and were the their need to change the “They don’t want any- remaining top-10 finish- face of NASCAR,” Blue thing to do with me,” said ers. said. “The ultimate de- Pattie Petty, who has Top-12 leaders after 8 of 36: 1. Biffle-312, 2. Truex-297, 3. Kenseth- 295, 4. Earnhardt-291, 5. Hamlin-289, 6. Harvick- 287, 7. Johnson-275, 8. Stewart-265, 9. Edwards- 251, 10. Newman-249, 11. Bowyer-227, 12. Logano-221. gets first truck win James Buescher pulled away in the clos-