Auto racing | Clint Bowyer is in right place at right time for Cup win

RICHMOND, Va. — Richard Childress always tells his drivers that luck occurs when preparation meets opportunity.

Clint Bowyer proved the boss right on Saturday night.

Bowyer was a surprise winner at Richmond International Raceway, stealing a win that first seemed destined for Denny Hamlin, then Dale Earnhardt Jr.

"He was prepared tonight, and the opportunity was there," Childress said after Bowyer's first win of the season.

Hamlin, the hometown favorite, led a record 381 of the 400 laps in search of his first Cup victory at Richmond. Nobody came close to challenging him until a leaking right front tire allowed Earnhardt and Kyle Busch to catch him.

The two drivers split Hamlin as they moved past him, with Earnhardt emerging as the leader with 18 laps to go. Hamlin's tire finally failed with eight to go, and NASCAR accused him of intentionally bringing out the caution that regrouped the field and gave Busch a chance to race Earnhardt for the win.

The two staged a strong battle for the lead when the race resumed, but contact between the two cars in turn three sent Earnhardt into the wall.

"Everybody probably is racing around the racetrack scared to death of wrecking Dale Earnhardt Jr., so why wouldn't I be any different?" Busch said. "But that was just a product of good hard racing. ... I'll say it again: It's just unfortunate circumstances for him because he didn't get a win, and for me because now I've got to put up with it."

Bowyer used the opportunity to slide past both Earnhardt and Busch and into the front, then held off Busch on a final restart to score his first Cup victory of the season.

"They were putting on a show for a while, they were racing hard and that's what racing at Richmond is all about — it just didn't work out," Bowyer said.

Mark Martin finished a season-best third, followed by Tony Stewart, Martin Truex Jr. and Carl Edwards. Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Enumclaw's Kahne rounded out the top 10.

Greg Biffle of Vancouver, Wash., was 14th, Earnhardt finished 15th, and Hamlin was a disappointing 24th after nearly routing the field.

The race was stopped for nearly 22 minutes a little past the halfway point when contact between Dave Blaney, J.J. Yeley and Edwards triggered a 12-car accident. Among those caught in the wreckage was points leader Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson, Newman and Kurt Busch.

Notes

• Tim Wilkerson topped the Funny Car qualifiers for the fourth time in seven attempts in the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals in Madison, Ill. Dave Grubnic (Top Fuel) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) also won qualifiers.

• Bobby Labonte has agreed to a contract extension with Petty Enterprises, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.