Hamlin and Busch give Joe Gibbs 1-2 in Richmond

Denny Hamlin wins again at Richmond

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Denny Hamlin outdueled his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch to win the Air Guard 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond. Jimmie Johnson came home third for Hendricks Motorsports.

Hamlin will go into the Chase as the top seed after scoring his series-leading sixth victory of the season Saturday night.

Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer round out the 12-driver field for the Cup Series championship.

It was Hamlin's 3rd win on the 0.75-mile Richmond short track.

It was Hamlin's series-best sixth win of the season and pushed him past four-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson for the top seed in the Chase. The points were reset after Saturday night's race, and Hamlin goes to the Chase opener next week at New Hampshire with a 10-point lead over Johnson.

"I hope you guys are ready for a good 10 weeks," he radioed his crew. It's the first time in Hamlin's career he's been the points leader.

Regular-season points-leader Kevin Harvick took the third seed, 30 points behind Hamlin. Busch, also 30 behind Hamlin, gave Toyota and JGR a 1-2 finish.

Kurt Busch, winner of the inaugural 2004 Chase, is the fifth seed, followed by Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle, who secured his spot in the 12-driver field just 30 laps into Saturday night when start-and-park driver Jason Leffler called it a night. Biffle was guaranteed a spot in the Chase by finishing 42nd or better.

He wound up 32nd.

Jeff Gordon will be seeded eighth, the first of five drivers winless this season who will start the Chase 60 points behind Hamlin.

Clint Bowyer was the only real driver on the "bubble" at the start of Saturday night, but had a stout car, led 33 laps and finished sixth to grab the final Chase spot.

"As happy as I am to make the Chase, I was frustrated with the finish," Bowyer said. "We were a second-place car and made an attempt to pass Denny a couple of times and slipped clear to sixth."

Results

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