Hamlin joins prestigious group with third Homestead win
Denny Hamlin has had this milestone, this win, on his mind for a while now.
A nice round number, one obtained by some of NASCAR’s elite and one he had doubts he would ever achieve when his career began.
Forty.
So it made his trip to Victory Lane at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday night that much sweeter even if it took some waiting to see it through.
After multiple weather delays that totaled more than four hours, Hamlin dominated the Dixie Vodka 400 field to get his third win of the season, his third career win at Homestead and reach that coveted 40-win mark for his Cup Series career.
All three of those numbers are milestones of increasing importance.
Three wins this season? The most among Cup Series drivers after 12 races. He’s one of four drivers with multiple wins this season (Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski are the others).
Three wins at Homestead? Ties Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle for the track record.
But 40 career wins? That ties him with Hall of Famer Mark Martin for 19th in NASCAR history.
And it gives him all the motivation to keep moving up the board.
“For me, there’s no end in sight,” Hamlin said. “As long as I keep running like this and have success, I don’t know, you keep moving it. You keep just moving the bar just a little bit higher.”
His performance at Homestead on Sunday was the latest to help him move that bar. Hamlin, 39, led for 137 of 267 laps, including the final 30 after passing eventual runner-up Chase Elliott during a tight final 50 laps. Hamlin also won both of the opening stages of the race as the lead driver after Laps 80 and 160.
“I’m motivated. I’m motivated more than ever,” Hamlin said.
Hamlin, who started running in the Cup Series circuit full-time in 2006, has been one of the series’ most consistent drivers over the past 15 years. He won at least one race every year except for 2018. He’s won the Daytona 500 three times in the last five years.
“Win number 40 is special. I can’t downplay it,” Hamlin said. “I know how special and how much it means to me. It will take some time for me to understand what it means to me. The accomplishment, it’s a big number, a number I never thought I would get to.”
One milestone that still eludes him? A Cup Series title. Hamlin peaked at second place in 2010 and finished fourth last year after a six-win season unraveled when his No. 11 Toyota began overheating with about 50 laps to go at Homestead’s Ford EcoBoost 400.
And while the championship is the ultimate goal, Hamlin said he won’t define a season as a success or failure based on that alone considering the current playoff format.
“I don’t believe that at all,” Hamlin said. “I think a championship nowadays is won in one race. It’s not a big picture of your whole season. Last season was a great season for us. I would have a season like that every year . ... I just want to keep winning.”