The anticipation surrounding polesitter Chase Elliott’s DAYTONA 500 outlook dissipated early.
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That left Hamlin and Truex Jr., considered an ally as a fellow Toyota driver, going at it down the stretch. Officials ordered the vehicle out of line and back to inspection. Expectations were high and excitement levels were through the roof; the drivers reflecting those feelings from their fans as they rushed around the track looking to secure a win for themselves at the start.
NASCAR also issued warnings to four other Sprint Cup teams for failing the laser inspection station twice prior to qualifying. “I think we have the wrong game plan here, it’s the 500′”. I heard people on the radio insane and excited and assumed we won at that point. I’m just ecstatic to have the race team I have, to have my life going the way it is.
He’ll then drive to Atlanta Morning Speedway for the start of the race weekend, which culminates with Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 (1 p.m. ET on FOX). “I think the only thing I should have done different was been a little more aggressive coming to the line, holding Denny up the race track”. I can’t even figure out what I did, but it all just came together.
But on the final lap, Hamlin, running fourth, abandoned the faster low line, moved over a lane and used a drafting boost from Kevin Harvick to make a run on Kenseth, who led 40 of the final 41 laps.
Kenseth, who won the Daytona 500 in 2009 and 2012, faded to 14th and saw teammate Hamlin win the big one for Joe Gibbs Racing.
This year’s event peaked at a 6.9 rating between 4:30 and 5 p.m. during the conclusion that featured the closest finish in race history between Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex, Jr. Truex appeared to have the edge, but Hamlin managed to pull ahead and complete the thrilling photo finish.
The victory ended Gibbs’ 23-year drought at the Daytona 500. Toyotas swept the podium as reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Busch finished third. Gibbs, who in November celebrated with Busch the teams first Sprint Cup title in a decade, won the Daytona 500 for the first time since Dale Jarrett in 1993.
No longer that chubby kid who stunned the field in his debut Daytona race, Hamlin is a 35-year-old father and the most-tenured driver in JGR’s four-car stable. “He (Denny Hamlin) just side drafted and I just should have – I probably should have run him up a little bit more, but I thought we were close enough that I could keep that foot or so, but I couldn’t, so I lost it the last second”.
Smith lost his ride in the Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports at the end of last season, but in late January landed a Sprint Cup ride with Tommy Baldwin Racing.
Toyota Racing Development president David Wilson called it the biggest win in Toyota history, better than even an Indianapolis 500 victory in 2003.
“I’ve been so close over my career, yeah, I just feel like I’ve knocked on the door and knocked on the door”. “It’s pretty much the same package we used at Kentucky and Darlington previous year and we ran really good at both those places”.
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Hamlin, Truex, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards gave Toyota four of the top five finishes.
