Hamlin becomes two-time ’20 winner
Denny Hamlin was the winner of a rain-shortened Toyota 500 when NASCAR’s Cup Series reconvened at Darlington Raceway, three days after ending a two-month COVID-19 lockdown at the same venue.
NASCAR called the race with the field sitting on pit road under the red flag Wednesday night when the rain started to fall under the final caution after 208 of the scheduled 228 laps. That caution came when Kyle Busch spun Chase Elliott down the frontstretch as the two battled for the second position.
Hamlin and the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team had taken the lead by staying out under yellows with 34 laps to go. On slightly older tires, Hamlin cleared the field as Elliott and Busch charged to the second and third positions. The contact between Busch and Elliott occurred down the frontstretch near Turn 1.
For Hamlin, it is his second win of the season and third at Darlington. It is the 39th win of his NASCAR Cup Series career.
“The pit crew did a great job today,” Hamlin said. “Everybody (did) really. I was pretty happy with how it all turned out. It’s a driver’s racetrack. You can move around, you can do different things to make your car handle, and we got it right today.”
Busch finished second for a Joe Gibbs Racing 1-2 finish. Harvick, who won Sunday’s race, finished third. Brad Keselowski and Erik Jones completed the top five. Jones led 27 laps, taking the lead with a robust three-wide move down the frontstretch early in the second stage.
Rounding out the top 10 were Joey Logano, Aric Almirola, Jimmie Johnson, Matt DiBenedetto and Martin Truex Jr.
Logano led laps early in the night.
Truex came on strong toward the end of Stage 1 and spent much of the second part of the race running inside the top five. He also led laps during the event.
Clint Bowyer had the race’s dominant car, winning both stages. Bowyer led a race-high 71 laps but finished 22nd after spinning off Turn 4 with 34 laps to go. He’d also damaged the right side of his car a few laps before by hitting the wall off Turn 2.
Pole-sitter Ryan Preece finished last after the engine expired in his JTG Daugherty Chevrolet at the start of the second stage.