Hamlin seeks historic 3rd straight 500 win

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Denny Hamlin, considered perhaps the best NASCAR driver without a Cup Series championship, can look past that hole on his record. He instead points to a pair of Southern 500 trophies, a Bristol night race victory, three road course wins, six at Pocono and the big daddy of them all, the Daytona 500.

Hamlin has won NASCAR’s crown jewel, the one race that can define a driver’s career, three different times and the last two years. On Sunday, he will attempt to become the first to win three consecutive Daytona 500s, a feat that would forever dull the disappointment of his championship failures.

“This is something that no one’s ever done before,” Hamlin said. “Other guys have won championships, obviously. I would want to do something no one else has done.”

Hamlin is the 8-1 betting favorite but the Daytona 500 can be a crapshoot, particularly in NASCAR’s condensed new schedule forced by the pandemic. Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway for decades spanned nearly two weeks but this year was cut to just six days.

With only three practice sessions and the 150-mile Duel qualifying races, there is no clear indication who has cars capable of winning the Daytona 500.

Hendrick Motorsports swept the front row in qualifying with Alex Bowman and William Byron, but Byron crashed in the qualifying race and will fall to the back in a backup car at the start of the 500. Bowman had an engine problem that will cost him the pole if the motor needs to be replaced.

Chase Elliott is the reigning series champion but hasn’t had enough time to show if he’s a contender for his first Daytona 500 victory. It’s also unclear how Kyle Larson, new to the Hendrick stable this season after last year’s NASCAR suspension for using a racial slur, is adapting to his new team.

Kevin Harvick is looking to rebound after falling short of the series title in last year’s nine-win season. He tweeted “She’s bad fast” about his Ford, though it was Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Aric Almirola who won the first qualifying race and said his car is strong for Sunday.

Fellow Ford drivers and Team Penske teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney both seemed able to run with Almirola.

Austin Dillon won the second duel, setting him up for a possible second Daytona 500 victory on the 20th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s death. Dillon drives Earnhardt’s famed No. 3 on grandfather Richard Childress’ team and understands how emotional a victory would be in that Chevrolet.

“It would be amazing and huge for the company, RCR and all the 3 fans out there,” Dillon said.

Dillon beat Bubba Wallace to win his qualifying race in a dramatic finish that showed Wallace might finally have the equipment he needs to be competitive. Wallace is the only Black racer at NASCAR’s top level and gained a national platform last season for his outspokenness on social justice issues.

He landed multiple sponsors through his activism and Wallace brought that funding to Michael Jordan and Hamlin for the launch of 23XI Racing. Jordan and Wallace are the only Black majority owner and driver combination in the sport, and this team has the sponsorship and support that could finally give Wallace a chance at his first Cup Series victory.

Wallace expects Jordan to demand results.