Hamlin, Johnson finish 1-2 at Martinsville

MARTINSVILLE, Va., Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Denny Hamlin fought off championship leader Jimmie Johnson in two late restarts Sunday to win the Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Johnson increased his lead in a bid to win a record fourth straight Sprint Cup title but he could not prevent Hamlin from capturing his third race of the season.

Although his car sustained front-end damage during a pit stop early in the race, Hamlin came back and took the lead from Johnson with 139 laps remaining. During the final caution of the race, Hamlin beat Johnson out of the pits and eventually finished two car lengths in front.

It was Hamlin's seventh career Sprint Cup victory.

Johnson had won five of the previous races contested at Martinsville. The only other winner on the half-mile track during that stretch had been Hamlin.

Johnson's second-place finish allowed him to boost his points lead to 118 over Mark Martin with four races to go. Martin finished eighth. The lead for Johnson is so large that it will likely take a major malfunction or wreck to keep him from capturing the points title.

There is always the chance for problems, however, at Talladega -- next week's Sprint Cup stop. Prior to the start of the 10-event championship chase, Martin referred to the high-speed Talladega track as, "the lottery."

Juan Pablo Montoya finished third Sunday, followed by Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon.

Gordon is third in the points list, 150 points behind Johnson.