NASCAR All-Star Race 2015 Results: Winner, Standings, Highlights and Reaction
Denny Hamlin looked like he had the best car at the beginning of the race. But he could never quite finish off the segment.
It's a good thing he had four more to go.
The No. 11 car put it all together when it mattered most, leading all 10 laps in the final segment to take the 2015 Sprint All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday. Hamlin bested second-place Kevin Harvick by nearly one second. Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top five.
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| 1 | Denny Hamlin |
| 2 | Kevin Harvick |
| 3 | Kurt Busch |
| 4 | Jeff Gordon |
| 5 | Matt Kenseth |
| 6 | Kyle Busch |
| 7 | Kasey Kahne |
| 8 | Joey Logano |
| 9 | Brad Keselowski |
| 10 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
This is Hamlin's second win of the 2015 season, though the All-Star race does not count for Sprint Cup standings. Hamlin won a prize of $1 million for taking the race, with the fifth portion being his only segment win of the evening. His victory is also the first for team owner Joe Gibbs in the event.
“It’s just an unbelievable experience,” Hamlin said, per Jim Utter of the Charlotte Observer. “We just didn’t have a car that was fast enough to run with those guys until Dave (Rogers, crew chief) made that last adjustment and of course the clean air, but that pit crew...they carried me all day long and they got us this victory.”
Split into five different segments, the All-Star race took on a new, interesting form for 2015. Cars were placed under caution and taken into pit road following each segment, with the winner leading the field into the pits. The average pitting order for first four segments determined the grouping for the final portion.
Kasey Kahne won the first segment, overtaking Hamlin and pulling away down the stretch. He led 11 of the 25 laps while Hamlin was responsible for the other 14. Dale Earnhardt Jr. came in third with Brad Keselowski and Busch rounded out the top five.
In the second segment, Keselowski and Busch began a stretch of two-car dominance that would help carry the theme for the rest of the night. Keselowski led 24 of the 25 laps en route to his victory in the second stage, but it wasn't without a fight. He and Busch battled side by side for long stretches, including one lap where the No. 41 car pulled ahead.
But it wasn't to be. Keselowski's car was firing on all cylinders during the two middle segments, as he returned following the intermission and paced the field for the entire 25 laps in the third stage. Busch hung around in second for a majority of the time, but Harvick eventually overtook him. Keselowski again did an excellent job of holding off Harvick to keep the lead.
Danica Patrick had a left-front hub issue midway through the third segment, causing her to finish in last place overall. Patrick, who did not qualify via traditional methods, entered into the field thanks to a fan vote.
The last 25-lap run was where Busch's team put everything together. Finally able to overtake the likes of Keselowski and Harvick, Busch raced to the front and put a multi-second gap between himself and the field. He wound up taking 23 of the 25 laps, putting together a strong run as he and Harvick started looking better than the rest.
While Busch defeated Harvick by under two seconds, there was a five-second gap between Busch and third place. Hamlin, Keselowski and Kahne rounded out the top five—a prevalent theme throughout the night. Heading into the final and deciding segment, though, it appeared that Busch and Harvick were putting it all together.
".@KurtBusch has checked out #NASCAR 1.4-second lead
— Lee Spencer (@CandiceSpencer) May 17, 2015"
Keselowski's negative momentum continued before the final 10 laps, as he arguably cost himself the race with a speeding penalty coming off pit road. That forced him to the back of the pack with Carl Edwards, who was also caught speeding. Keselowski wound up finishing in ninth place.
The mistake allowed Hamlin to start in the front heading into the final segment, where he would not look back. Harvick had a run on him midway through the segment, but he lost his air and wound up losing his momentum as well.
It'll be interesting to see if Hamlin can build on the victory and win next Saturday when the field is back at Charlotte. His previous best at the Coca-Cola 600 is a second in 2012. With Saturday night's win at his back, it's hard to count him out.
Other notable finishes include Kyle Busch (6th), Earnhardt (10th) and Jimmie Johnson (15th). Kyle Busch was making his first appearance of 2015 after missing the first 11 races due to injury.
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