Denny Hamlin

CONCORD. N.C. — Breakups are always complicated. You rarely leave on equal terms. It seems one party initiates the split. Irreconcilable differences, anyone? That's how it went down with Tony Stewart and Darian Grubb last season. Stewart told Grubb, his crew chief of three years, just before the start of the Sprint Cup 10-race Chase playoff format that he would have a new crew chief in 2012. But then unexpectedly, something clicked between them, and Stewart won five of the 10 races to capture his third Sprint Cup title.

CONCORD. N.C. — Breakups are always complicated. You rarely leave on equal terms. It seems one party initiates the split. Irreconcilable differences, anyone? That's how it went down with Tony Stewart and Darian Grubb last season. Stewart told Grubb, his crew chief of three years, just before the start of the Sprint Cup 10-race Chase playoff format that he would have a new crew chief in 2012. But then unexpectedly, something clicked between them, and Stewart won five of the 10 races to capture his third Sprint Cup title.

Hamlin needs earplugs George Diaz Orlando Sentinel Denny Hamlin has the car. He has the speed. He has the skills. The only question is whether he has tone-deaf hearing. That's what it's going to take to win a NASCAR Cup Championship on Sunday in Homestead. Hamlin is going to have to block out the pesky voice in his head. The voice belongs to Jimmie Johnson. For days now, Johnson has been taking jabs at Hamlin, making sure he feels the pressure of trying to hang on to a 15-point lead.

Welcome back, Denny Hamlin. Where have you been? It seems you disappeared a long time ago. We sent out an APB after Homestead last November, when you let Jimmie Johnson slip by you for the Cup championship on the final race of the season. You really weren't much of a player in Las Vegas for the awards ceremony. It was a bummer of a time anyway, since you were forced to witness the coronation of a king who wasn't you. And then the season started, and Victory Lane became elusive — until finally you were anointed a champion last weekend in Michigan.

Just as doubts began to arise about his potential and whether he could challenge Jimmie Johnson for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, Denny Hamlin showed just how much he wanted it. Were you in utter shock when the two Joe Gibbs Racing cars, Hamlin's and Kyle Busch's, pitted while leading Monday's race at Martinsville with 10 laps to go, and nobody went with them? Did you gasp when Hamlin bulldozed his way to fourth by the time another caution was called? That No. 11 team sure has a flair for the dramatic.

When did NASCAR turn into a supersized version of "Family Feud?" All eyes were on Texas, where the sport made one of its most dramatic pit stops of the season Sunday. Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton got into a push-and-shove scrum after Burton wrecked Gordon, ending his run. Jimmie Johnson's pit crew got demoted and replaced with Gordon's. And through the contentious crossfire, Denny Hamlin emerged as the favorite to end Johnson's four-year run as Sprint Cup champ. It's understandable why Texas turned into Dysfunction Junction.

The most interesting thing about Jeff Burton pointing his finger in Kyle Busch's chest and shouting at him on pit road Sunday night at the Coca-Cola 600 was Burton was just three days removed from praising Busch's driving style. It didn't go unnoticed. "I guess all that nice respect stuff he talked about earlier this week is out the window," Busch said. "I guess that's how I race everybody." On Thursday, Burton said he likes racing Busch and thinks that while Busch puts his own car in precarious positions, he doesn't disrespect others' space.

Somebody call AAA. Another car from Joe Gibbs Racing has broken down. Except for Kyle Busch, the boys from JGR are sputtering around the track in need of a jump-start. The team has dealt with engine problems in all five Cup races this season. Most recently, engine failures zapped Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin at Fontana. Logano's No. 20 Toyota needed a new engine because of valve leakage after the final practice. Hamlin's engine failed 105 laps into Sunday's race because of valve train issues.

Welcome back, Denny Hamlin. Where have you been? It seems you disappeared a long time ago. We sent out an APB after Homestead last November, when you let Jimmie Johnson slip by you for the Cup championship on the final race of the season. You really weren't much of a player in Las Vegas for the awards ceremony. It was a bummer of a time anyway, since you were forced to witness the coronation of a king who wasn't you. And then the season started, and Victory Lane became elusive — until finally you were anointed a champion last weekend in Michigan.

Is Superman's cape ready to be yanked off? Much of the talk surrounding today's first race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase for the Championship at New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been focused on the perceived vulnerability of four-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports team. In the months leading into today's Sylvania 300 Johnson and his team have looked uncharacteristically mortal. After winning back-to-back events at Infineon Raceway and NHMS in June, Johnson went through a seven-race spell that saw him record one top-10 finish and five finishes of 22nd or worse.

Kevin Harvick and his crew are pledging not to shave for two weeks as part of his Budweiser team's promotion encouraging folks to save water. Thumbs up, everybody! This is one "Fear the beard" marketing campaign that clearly is working. Harvick won his third race of the season by a — wait for it — close shave. He lucked into Victory Lane after Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of gas on the last lap of the Coca-Cola 600. It has been that kind of year for Harvick. He has led a total of nine laps, yet has won a Cup-high three races.

Somebody call AAA. Another car from Joe Gibbs Racing has broken down. Except for Kyle Busch, the boys from JGR are sputtering around the track in need of a jump-start. The team has dealt with engine problems in all five Cup races this season. Most recently, engine failures zapped Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin at Fontana. Logano's No. 20 Toyota needed a new engine because of valve leakage after the final practice. Hamlin's engine failed 105 laps into Sunday's race because of valve train issues.

Hamlin needs earplugs George Diaz Orlando Sentinel Denny Hamlin has the car. He has the speed. He has the skills. The only question is whether he has tone-deaf hearing. That's what it's going to take to win a NASCAR Cup Championship on Sunday in Homestead. Hamlin is going to have to block out the pesky voice in his head. The voice belongs to Jimmie Johnson. For days now, Johnson has been taking jabs at Hamlin, making sure he feels the pressure of trying to hang on to a 15-point lead.

When did NASCAR turn into a supersized version of "Family Feud?" All eyes were on Texas, where the sport made one of its most dramatic pit stops of the season Sunday. Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton got into a push-and-shove scrum after Burton wrecked Gordon, ending his run. Jimmie Johnson's pit crew got demoted and replaced with Gordon's. And through the contentious crossfire, Denny Hamlin emerged as the favorite to end Johnson's four-year run as Sprint Cup champ. It's understandable why Texas turned into Dysfunction Junction.

Is Superman's cape ready to be yanked off? Much of the talk surrounding today's first race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase for the Championship at New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been focused on the perceived vulnerability of four-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports team. In the months leading into today's Sylvania 300 Johnson and his team have looked uncharacteristically mortal. After winning back-to-back events at Infineon Raceway and NHMS in June, Johnson went through a seven-race spell that saw him record one top-10 finish and five finishes of 22nd or worse.

The most interesting thing about Jeff Burton pointing his finger in Kyle Busch's chest and shouting at him on pit road Sunday night at the Coca-Cola 600 was Burton was just three days removed from praising Busch's driving style. It didn't go unnoticed. "I guess all that nice respect stuff he talked about earlier this week is out the window," Busch said. "I guess that's how I race everybody." On Thursday, Burton said he likes racing Busch and thinks that while Busch puts his own car in precarious positions, he doesn't disrespect others' space.

Kevin Harvick and his crew are pledging not to shave for two weeks as part of his Budweiser team's promotion encouraging folks to save water. Thumbs up, everybody! This is one "Fear the beard" marketing campaign that clearly is working. Harvick won his third race of the season by a — wait for it — close shave. He lucked into Victory Lane after Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran out of gas on the last lap of the Coca-Cola 600. It has been that kind of year for Harvick. He has led a total of nine laps, yet has won a Cup-high three races.

Baseball ATHLETICS -- Placed OF Travis Buck on 15-day DL. Recalled IF Donnie Murphy from Triple-A Sacramento. Purchased contract of OF Dee Brown from Sacramento. Optioned P Ruddy Lugo to Sacramento. PADRES -- Acquired OF Milton Bradley and cash considerations from Athletics for P Andrew Brown. REDS -- Purchased contract of P Ricky Stone from Triple-A Louisville. Designated P Victor Santos for assignment. TIGERS -- Activated P Zach Miner from 15-day DL. Placed P Tim Byrdak on 15-day DL. TWINS -- Recalled P Matt Garza from Triple-A Rochester.

Just as doubts began to arise about his potential and whether he could challenge Jimmie Johnson for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, Denny Hamlin showed just how much he wanted it. Were you in utter shock when the two Joe Gibbs Racing cars, Hamlin's and Kyle Busch's, pitted while leading Monday's race at Martinsville with 10 laps to go, and nobody went with them? Did you gasp when Hamlin bulldozed his way to fourth by the time another caution was called? That No. 11 team sure has a flair for the dramatic.

You'll excuse the Greg Oden jokes that followed Denny Hamlin's disclosure that he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee playing basketball over the weekend. Oden, a former No. 1 overall NBA draft pick, has spent most of his career with the Trail Blazers struggling through knee injuries. Hamlin has had his share as well. But the difference is Hamlin doesn't need healthy, functioning knee ligaments to succeed at his sport. Hamlin drove half of last season on a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee, which he had surgically repaired last month.