Late caution gives Hamlin second chance at win

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Denny Hamlin won the race off pit road with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. after a caution with two laps to go and won in overtime at Richmond Raceway on Sunday night.

Truex dominated the second half of the NASCAR Cup Series race — he led 288 laps — and seemed poised to hold off challenges by Joey Logano and Hamlin for the final two laps when Kyle Larson got nudged from behind on the front straightaway and skidded into the infield, causing the caution.

"I needed that kind of situation at the end to happen to win it," Hamlin said.

Larson had been fading from contention before the spin.

"I was a little bit loose and then I got a shot there," Larson said of the bump from Bubba Wallace that almost certainly cost Truex his fourth victory at Richmond.

On the restart, Hamlin got a good jump from the inside lane, withstood a challenge from the outside from Truex and held off Truex and two other challengers for the surprise victory.

"This is a team win for sure," Hamlin said after climbing from his car. "The trophy needs to go to each one of these pit crew members. They just did amazing job. They've been killing it all year."

Hamlin's victory was his second this season, the fifth of his career at what he considers his home track, and the 53rd of his career, but it left Truex unhappy with several drivers involved.

"We got beat out of the pits and he jumped the restart," Truex said of Hamlin. "Had a car capable of winning. So just have to come back next week trying to get him again."