Denny Hamlin picks up Cup Series-high fourth win of year at Dover
Hamlin waited out a one-hour red-flag delay, won three restarts on older tyres inside of 10 laps to go, and took the overtime checkers in Sunday's rain-interrupted AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 in Dover, Delaware.
In the second overtime, Hamlin lined up beside Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe, who was on much fresher tyres. The Toyotas made contact coming to the white, allowing Hamlin's No 11 to nose ahead and beat the No 19 by 0.310 seconds for his series-leading fourth victory.
Hamlin, who led 67 of the 407 laps, also fended off teammate Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson in late restarts — in regulation with eight laps left and the first overtime, respectively — to help him repeat at Dover and give Toyota its third straight win there.
'Winning here in Dover is super special to me,' said Hamlin, who last pitted for tyres on lap 326. 'This is a place I've not been very good at in the first half of my career. To have back-to-back [wins] over the last few years is amazing.
'I just studied some of the greats here. I was very fortunate to have Martin Truex [Jr.] as a teammate ... [and] watch Jimmie Johnson. You learn from the greats.'
It was Hamlin's third career win at the Delaware track and his 58th overall victory in the Cup Series.
'We've still got a lot left,' he said.
Briscoe wanted to make sure a JGR car won but said he did everything he could running below Hamlin.
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