Busch wins charity event at Southside Speedway

Denny Hamlin spent much of last night chasing after Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch at Southside Speedway.

Busch, assuming the lead on Lap 11 when pole-sitter Chris Dodson suffered mechanical failure, led the final 165 laps to win this charity event for the second year in a row.

And while Hamlin, a Manchester High School graduate, couldn't pull ahead of Busch, his foundation may have finished ahead of expectations during his Short Track Showdown, which benefits the Denny Hamlin Foundation.

"It was a great night, and we doubled what we did last year," Hamlin said. "It shows what great fans there are here."

Hamlin may have exceeded his goal of raising $100,000 -- twice as much as the foundation earned in the inaugural showdown last year. The foundation received 100 percent of the gate receipts.

"To have this during our 50th anniversary is a blessing," said track spokesperson Jennifer Mullis. "We'll probably break even, but we're always glad to have Denny back at the racetrack."

Hamlin highlighted an all-star charity event that included JGR Sprint Cup rookie Joey Logano, two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart and 1983 Cup champion Bobby Allison, who served as grand marshal.

There wasn't an empty seat in the 5,500-seat, one-third mile racetrack. The fans lined up along the walls to watch Busch and Hamlin battle it out for the second year in a row.

While Busch took the win and Hamlin dominated the first half of this Late Model Sportsman event, Logano and Stewart were caught up in the middle of the pack along with Hamlin's spotter and former Southside champion Curtis Markham.

Even though Logano struggled to keep pace, the Sprint Cup rookie skillfully and smartly maneuvered the No. 20 Toyota out of harm's way. Three times he was nearly taken out during a crash in Turn 2.

Stewart, who has a charity event at Eldoro (Ohio) Speedway, made a move on Lap 95 to challenge the leaders. But a blown right rear tire sent him to pit road, ending his shot at victory.

Busch pulled away from Hamlin on the Lap 157 restart. But when a flat tire caused Markham to spin in Turn 1 on Lap 166, it set up a JGR shootout in the showdown.

Hamlin, with Chris Hopkins in pursuit, couldn't narrow the gap. And Busch took the checkered flag four car lengths ahead of Hamlin.

"It was fun," said Busch, who today will try to win the pole for tomorrow's Crown Royal Presents Russ Friedman 400 at Richmond International Raceway. "The team did a heckuva job."

In the Grand Stock feature, Keith Mackta won the 50-lap race after two-time defending track champion and pole-sitter Chris Hott blew a tire late in the race. Mark Simpson, who won the season-opener, was third, followed by Donnie Newman and Tommy Tatum.