BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Who knew all it would take was a flat tire to add the one element that had been missing from NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series this season: a little bit of drama?

There’s been plenty of controversy —from Carl Edwards’ 100-point penalty at Las Vegas to Tony Stewart’s battle of words with Goodyear — but none of those stories came close to matching what unfolded during the final 20 laps of the Crown Royal 400 in Richmond on Saturday.

That’s when the hometown favorite lost an almost certain victory, the sport’s most popular driver wrecked while leading and a surprised Clint Bowyer found himself in victory lane.

After winning Friday night’s Nationwide series event, Denny Hamlin, a native of Virginia, said that a Cup win at Richmond was more important to him than taking the checkered flag at the Daytona 500. And it seemed Hamlin was well on his way to making his dream a reality, as he led for 381 of 410 laps, whipping his hometown fans into a frenzy.

But then his front-right tire went flat.

The Richmond fans were not disappointed for long, however, as Hamlin’s misfortune opened the door for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who took the lead hoping to end a 71-race winless streak as he tried to hold off Kyle Busch.

“It was pretty wild out there,” said Bowyer of the closing laps. “They were putting on a show for awhile, I thought so, anyway. That’s what racing at Richmond is all about.”

The show did not last long for Earnhardt. Just three laps after the restart caused by Hamlin’s flat tire, Busch slid into the No. 88 car, sending Earnhardt into the wall and extending his winless streak.

“If I went out there on that final restart and just gave way to the No. 88 car, then that would not be a true race car driver,” Busch said. “So, you know I had to do what I had to do to win for my team…unfortunately, circumstances happened.”

Those “circumstances” outraged the legions of Earnhardt fans, but there is no question Hamlin’s untimely luck combined with the ensuing battle — and ultimate wreck — between Busch and Earnhardt put a charge of excitement into what was otherwise shaping up to be a pretty boring night.

“It’s just great racing,” Richard Childress, owner of Bowyer’s winning car, said. “Kyle and these guys, what they are doing is putting on a show, and people shouldn’t be upset, because that’s what they pay their money for — to see a great race.”

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