Hamlin ends long Cup Series drought
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Denny Hamlin bumped Kyle Larson off the lead heading onto the backstretch of the final lap Sunday, giving Hamlin a clear path to the finish line at Kansas Speedway and ending his 33race winless drought in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Hamlin went to the front on the record 38th lead change of a chaotic race at Kansas for his fourth victory at the track and the 400th win overall for Joe Gibbs Racing. It was Hamlin’s first trip to victory lane since last year’s Coca-Cola 600.
“I was trying to side-draft him and clipped his left rear,” Hamlin said of the last-lap pass. “I’m glad he was able to finish.”
Larson had held Hamlin off for about 30 laps in the AdventHealth 400, despite fighting a rapidly loosening car. Hamlin had pulled up to his bumper with three laps to go but fell away crossing the start-finish line, then lined up for one more try that he made stick.
“I was really loose,” Larson said. “He was able to finally get my inside off two. It seemed he was side-drafting me aggressively. I don’t know if he finally got me turned sideways, but turned me into the outside wall and he got the win.”
William Byron spent more than 50 laps riding around two laps down before rallying onto the lead lap. He fought for the lead down the stretch but finished third. Bubba Wallace was fourth and Ross Chastain fifth.
Chastain, who has irked many drivers this season with his aggressiveness, found himself in a heated confrontation on pit road after the race. He had gotten into Noah Gragson with about 60 laps to go and sent him for a spin, and Gragson went up to Chastain afterward to voice his displeasure.
Chastain eventually threw a right hook, Gragson tried to throw a punch, and crew members had to separate them.
“I’m sick and tired of it,” Gragson said of Chastain’s driving style. “The guy runs into everyone.”
Chastain accepted some blame for the spin but didn’t say much about the punch.
“I got tight off four for sure,” he said. “Noah and I have a very similar attitude on the race track. We train together, we prepare together, we know every little bit about each other. I definitely crowded him out of four.”