Hamlin, Keselowski scrap after Bowyer’s win

DOVER, Del. -- Denny Hamlin's day appeared over. His No. 20 Toyota was in the garage after Brad Keselowski spun him into the wall late in the Nationwide Series race.

Not so fast.

An angry Hamlin returned to pit road at the end of the Nationwide Series Dover 200 and welcomed Keselowski with a forceful shove and a heated exchange. Keselowski's public relations rep shoved Hamlin, and crews for both drivers quickly got involved in the brief skirmish.

Oblivious to the post-race melee, Clint Bowyer celebrated his second victory of the season yesterday at the concrete at Dover International Speedway.

Everyone wanted to know after the race what went down between Hamlin, a former Chesterfield resident, and Keselowski.

The brief, but heated, confrontation was sparked with 11 laps left in the 200-lap race when Hamlin was tapped from behind by Keselowski's No. 88 and spun sideways into the wall. Keselowski, who finished third, was trying to pass Hamlin on the inside.

"I was just there. I was underneath him," Keselowski said. "Earlier in the day when he got underneath me in the same scenario I gave him room. I paid him a favor, and I expected the same favor to be returned. He didn't. I held my ground."

Hamlin, a Chase driver in the Cup series, didn't see it that way.

"I wanted to talk to him," Hamlin said. "He obviously needs some sort of guidance on what he needs to do to make it. He's got a ton of talent, I am not going to take that away from him, he's a good driver. If he can harness it, he'll win a lot more races."

DOVER 200 RESULTS
(Starting pos.), Make  Laps, Money
1. (16) Clint Bowyer, Chevy-------------------------200, $42,070
2. (3) Mike Bliss, Toyota-------------------------200, $43,518
3. (12) Brad Keselowski, Chevy----200, $30,093
4. (1) Kyle Busch, Toyota-------------------------200, $27,400
5. (2) Carl Edwards, Ford-------------------------200, $19,875
6. (15) Jason Leffler, Toyota----------------------200, $27,243
7. (10) Reed Sorenson, Toyota---------200, $17,885
8. (5) Scott Speed, Toyota-------------------------200, $17,645
9. (13) D. Reutimann, Toyota------------------200, $17,300
10. (18) Jason Keller, Ford-------------------------200, $24,168
11. (11) Matt Kenseth, Ford-------------------------200, $16,675
12. (7) Steve Wallace, Chevy----------------------200, $23,018
13. (42) Michael Annett, Toyota------200, $24,318
14. (32) Scott Wimmer, Chevy--------------199, $22,793
15. (29) Tony Raines, Chevy-------------------------199, $23,768
16. (24) Martin Truex Jr., Chevy------199, $16,175
17. (17) Erik Darnell, Ford-------------------------198, $22,568
18. (8) John Wes Townley, Ford--------198, $22,518
19. (36) B. Gaughan, Chevy-------------------------198, $22,468
20. (30) Kenny Wallace, Chevy------------197, $23,268
21. (20) M. Shepherd, Chevy------------------------196, $22,368
22. (35) Mike Wallace, Chevy--------------------195, $22,268
23. (33) Ken Butler, Chevy-------------------------195, $22,593
24. (40) Eric McClure, Ford -------------- 195, $22,143
25. (26) Justin Allgaier, Dodge---------------192, $22,093
26. (38) Matthew Carter, Ford---------------191, $22,193
27. (4) D. Hamlin, Toyota ------------------------- 189, $15,525
28. (37) B. Hamilton Jr., Dodge-------------185, $21,943
29. (23) M. McDowell, Dodge----------------------150, $15,400
30. (6) Ryan Newman, Chevy----------------------144, $15,650
31. (14) Tim Andrews, Chevy----------------------100, $15,295
32. (28) Brad Teague, Ford-------------------------51, $15,235
33. (22) Jarit Johnson, Chevy-------------------------35, $21,643
34. (41) D. O'Quinn Jr., Dodge ----- 34, $21,608
35. (27) Joe Nemechek, Chevy----------------------25, $21,578
36. (25) Casey Atwood, Chevy----------------------10, $21,553
37. (43) Andy Ponstein, Chevy-------------------------6, $15,065
38. (9) Dennis Setzer, Dodge-------------------------4, $15,000
39. (31) Chase Miller, Chevy-------------------------3, $14,975
40. (19) Johnny Chapman, Chevy-------------3, $14,920
41. (39) Coleman Pressley, Toyota----2, $21,363
42. (34) Mark Green, Chevy-------------------------2, $21,328
43. (21) Kevin Hamlin, Chevy-------------------------1, $14,804
Race statistics

Average speed: 122.034 mph.

Time: 1 hour, 38 minutes, 20 seconds.

Margin of victory: 1.319 seconds.

Caution flags: 4 for 17 laps.

Lead changes: 4 among 4 drivers.

Lap leaders: Ky. Busch 1-80; Edwards 81; Keselowski 82-88; Ky. Busch 89-117; Bowyer 118-200.