“This is the best”, Hamlin said. “I went in there with a head of steam and got sideways”.
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Hamlin will continue to enjoy the spoils of victory in NASCAR’s biggest race on Tuesday with appearances on FOX & Friends, Live!
“Did my best to beat him at the line, but just came up short”, Truex said.
Trucks driver okay: Christopher Bell was released from a hospital around 1 a.m. Saturday, shortly after a harrowing wreck on the last lap of Friday’s truck series race. “On paper it all looked good, but it’s up to the men and women in both of those shops to execute that collaboration”. “I’m so happy to get this victory for Joe Gibbs Racing”.
“The historically narrow margin of victory was joined by another milestone on Sunday: It was the first time a driver in a Toyota won the race”, continues the paper.
Hamlin had the most dominant vehicle all day, leading 95 laps – the most a champion since Dale Earnhardt Sr. led 107 in 1998 – but heading into the final lap, he found himself stuck in fourth place behind two of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates – Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch – plus Truex, their “adopted” Toyota teammate.
“This is very hard for me to put in words. I didn’t know we had won, but I knew it was close”. JGR teammate Edwards spent much of the race a lap down after hitting the wall on lap 57. I won the Southern 500. It was Hamlin’s first career win in 11 starts in the 500, and also the first win with new crew chief Mike Wheeler.
“I just lost it”, he said. Once he did it, I swore I thought about doing it. Once I thought about doing it and didn’t do it, it was too late. I told him, ‘Mr.
Truex could have forced Hamlin wide coming down the stretch, but he thought he had enough momentum to win without taking any chances. As they came around the final corner, Hamlin wasn’t sure how the final few feet were going to play out. He was signed as a developmental driver for the team of his childhood hero.
Of course, Hamlin, who has 27 Sprint Cup wins, is likely locked into this year’s Chase already and the championship is next on his career goals list.
“Wish we could have won, obviously”, he said. Claiming his 27 victory this weekend with the Daytona 500, Hamlin has competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for 11 years.
“This was our 10th try at the Daytona 500”, said David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development, who called the win the biggest in Toyota history – trumping even the 2003 Indianapolis 500 victory.
“If I remember right, it was second grade, so I’m probably seven-years-old. It’s competition. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to win”, Truex, Jr. said. I could have done a little bit different coming to the line.
“I hate it for everybody at less than 20 laps in and have something dumb like that happen”, Elliott said.
“I mean, I could have chopped (Earnhardt) a little bit more, but I saw in my mirror it would have been close and it’s just not – this isn’t the time to cut it close”, Hamlin said.
The pride of Chesterfield, Hamlin’s roots run deep.
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Toyota finally has their first Daytona 500 win.
