NASCAR
Denny Hamlin Finally Victorious in Third Playoff Race at Bristol
BRISTOL, Tenn. – 2023’s rendition of the Bristol Night Race can be called a Toyota reign of terror. Three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers combined to lead 431 of 500 laps, punctuated with Denny Hamlin’s victory. The FedEx 11 now has three career Bristol Night Race wins, and as many checkered flags in 2023. After striking out of the first two Playoff races, the third time’s the charm for Hamlin.
From the pole, Christopher Bell was lights-out dominant early on. The No. 20 would sweep both Stages, with their march to a max-points night only halted by two weather delays. Corey Lajoie and Kyle Larson both spent time out front in the first half, but neither held a candle to the 20’s speed.
Bell would only lose ground on pit road following Stage 2, coming out fourth behind Ty Gibbs, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson. Stage 3 saw a catastrophic moment for a Playoff team, with Joey Logano involved in a multi-car crash. The No. 22 Ford’s damage was terminal, sending the defending Cup Series champion to a 34th-place result and Round of 16 elimination. Logano becomes the first-ever reigning champ to be bounced in the opening Playoff round.
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After setting a career-high 102 laps led, rookie Ty Gibbs lost the top spot to Denny Hamlin on lap 359. From the point onward, the 11 held control and cruised to a commanding second-half victory. Even though Larson tried valiantly, the 5 could never close in on the 11.
“Man, everybody likes a winner, right?” Hamlin said in response to booing fans. “Can’t thank this whole FedEx team enough. They’ve really kicked ass this whole first round. Really amazing how our team has been. So happy about the way we’re running. Can’t wait to keep going.”
“It’s our year. I just feel like we’ve got it all put together. We’ve got the speed every single type of racetrack. Nothing to stop us at this point.”
Toying with the fans one more time, Hamlin also said: “Hey, I beat your favorite driver. All of them.”
The dominant trio of Hamlin-Larson-Bell swept the top three positions. Defending Bristol Night Race winner Chris Buescher was best-in-class in fourth and Ty Gibbs faded to fifth. The rest of the top-10 were: Michael McDowell, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, William Byron and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Hear from some of these top finishers below.
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Aside from Logano, the other three eliminated from the Playoffs after Bristol were: Kevin Harvick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Michael McDowell. The 2022 champion will not have a chance to repeat, and the 4EVER tour’s contention ends in the first round. See the re-seeded Round of 12 points below.
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The Round of 12 kicks off next week from Texas Motor Speedway. The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 will go green Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on USA, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. What proved to be a treacherous race last year may send its winner to the doorstep of the Bill France Cup. Who can take a Texas two step to Lone Star State victory lane?
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
