AVONDALE, Ariz. – This one was almost enough to make you use Yogi Berra's quote about "deja vu all over again."
For the second consecutive year, Kevin Hamlin suffered engine troubles in practice, got limited practice laps and had to start the Albertson's/Osco Drug 125 near the rear of the 42-car field. And for the second straight time, Hamlin charged from the back to post a top-10 finish in the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series race at the Phoenix International Raceway.
Hamlin, the newly-crowned champion of the NASCAR Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series, finished ninth in Thursday's 125-mile race. John Zaretzke won the event.
"It's frustrating to again have some problems before this race," Hamlin said. "But it's good to get another top-10 finish. Someday, we'll get to practice here. I think with a little more time on the track, we can race for the win with these guys."
Hamlin, driving the American Dream Motorsports Chevrolet, started 39th in the Albertson's/Osco Drug 125. He moved steadily forward through the race. He was in second position and closely pursuing leader and NASCAR Winston Cup driver Ken Schrader before pitting for fuel and tires near the 100-lap mark.
He rejoined the field after the pit stop in 12th position. In the final 20 laps, Hamlin moved from 12th to ninth.
"I really want to thank all the guys on the American Dream Motorsports team," Hamlin said. "Nobody got down when things went bad in practice. The guys all hung together and got the job done so we could come out of here with a solid top-10 finish.
"You're never satisfied unless you win, but I'm somewhat pleased with our performance. We came down here and finished our season on a high note."
It's a season that has featured plenty of highlights. Hamlin won four races in 13 starts on the NASCAR Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series this season. At age 22, he became the youngest champion in the history of the circuit.
