NASCAR Cup

Considering the way Sunday started for Denny Hamlin, a third-place finish in the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 might have defied the omens from early in the day.

Jimmie Johnson had to come back from a pair of setbacks to score his ninth career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at Martinsville Speedway Sunday.

After a blown engine knocked him out of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup last Sunday at Talladega, the one thought that kept Martin Truex, Jr. from wallowing in despair was the prospect of winning Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson won’t go there until he gets there. In other words, Johnson has opted not to contemplate winning a record-tying seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title until he reaches the Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Martin Truex, Jr.’s ouster from the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup didn’t affect his qualifying prowess.

Denny Hamlin’s championship aspirations came .006 seconds away from evaporating at Talladega last Sunday.

NASCAR has announced that, beginning in 2017, limitations will be placed on Sprint Cup Series drivers looking to participate in Xfinity or Camping World Truck Series events.

Facing an overtime restart with two laps left in the Hellman’s 500 on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, crew chief Slugger Labbe reminded driver Austin Dillon of the relevant numbers.

Joey Logano rallied from an early pit road gaffe to power his way to the front of the field Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway and beat out Brian Scott on a final green-white-checkered over time finish to punch his ticket to the next round in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Perhaps more than any other driver in Sunday’s Hellman’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Austin Dillon will have to walk a tightrope.