Hamlin takes historic Shootout win

The 25-year-old was racing in his first Cup event at restrictor plate track yet beat the rest of the invitational 21-car field to win the 70-lap non-championship race.

The victory is incredible because he was ranked outsider of the 21 entrants. He is not only the first rookie to win the event, but also was the first rookie simply to lead NASCAR's traditional season opener.

Hamlin only qualified for the race thanks to taking pole position at the penultimate round of last season, at Phoenix. His previous best finish was seventh at Texas last November.

Hamlin's victory added to Jeff Burton's surprise pole position in the Budweiser Pole Qualifying earlier in the afternoon.

The Virginia driver had Jimmie Johnson to thank in the final two-lap, green-white chequered finish, who gave him a huge push on the penultimate lap to keep the lead from reigning Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart.

"It was two years ago I was here just as a visitor," Hamlin said. "It is the first time I've been in victory lane and I just can't believe it.

"The team is coming back from a poor last year, and we're going to win rookie of the year this year. Jimmie gave me a great push on the back straight away and what mattered was I had help at the right time. This will not be the last time we will be in victory lane."

Dale Earnhardt Jr just beat Stewart for second place in the final run to the chequered flag.

Scott Riggs finished fourth in a strong comeback drive after a crash in the first segment.

The first segment looked as if it would pass without major incidents with pole-sitter Ken Schrader leading the pack for the majority of the 20 laps before the ten-minute race.

However, five laps from the end of the first segment, six cars got involved in an accident on the back straight, caused when Brian Vickers and Ryan Newman collided.

Newman spun into the infield and got going again but Brian Vickers, Riggs and Kasey Kahne fell behind the pack. Earnhardt Jr and Dale Jarrett took to the grass to avoid the accident.

There was drama for other competitors too. Carl Edwards should have started the second, 70-lap segment in fourth, but he was sent to the back of the field after passing under the yellow blend line.

It got worse for Edwards, however, when he was forced to take a drive-through penalty for a similar offence. Edwards took to the infield asphalt near the pit entry, when teammates Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson slowed down to make their mandatory pitstop.

Edwards, after initially refusing to come in and take his penalty, complained over his pit radio that he had only taken that action to avoid colliding with the pair.

Jeff Gordon, fresh from qualifying on the front row for next week's Daytona 500, retired on the first lap of the second segment with an engine problem.

The incident caused a yellow flag as smoke poured out of the back of the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Kevin Harvick retired in the first segment with an engine failure also when smoke filled his cockpit.

The final caution period, which set up Hamlin's victory, was caused because of debris, following an incident where Newman and Jamie McMurray both collided and scraped the wall exiting Turn 2.

Pos  Driver              Make        Laps
 1.  Denny Hamlin        Chevrolet    72
 2.  Dale Earnhardt Jr.  Chevrolet    72
 3.  Tony Stewart        Chevrolet    72
 4.  Scott Riggs         Dodge        72
 5.  Jimmie Johnson      Chevrolet    72
 6.  Matt Kenseth        Ford         72
 7.  Mark Martin         Ford         72
 8.  Jamie McMurray      Ford         72
 9.  Joe Nemechek        Chevrolet    72
10.  Dale Jarrett        Ford         72
11.  Michael Waltrip     Dodge        72
12.  Bill Elliott        Chevrolet    72
13.  Elliott Sadler      Ford         72
14.  Ken Schrader        Ford         72
15.  Kyle Busch          Chevrolet    72
16.  Carl Edwards        Ford         71
17.  Ryan Newman         Dodge        68
18.  Kasey Kahne         Dodge        35
19.  Jeff Gordon         Chevrolet    23
20.  Kevin Harvick       Chevrolet    15
21.  Brian Vickers       Chevrolet    14