Denny Hamlin won the race at Richmond Raceway after a late caution gave him another chance. He beat his teammate Martin Truex Jr. in overtime on Sunday night.
Truex was in control for most of the race, leading 288 laps. But with just two laps left, Kyle Larson’s spin on the front straightaway caused a caution. Hamlin took advantage of the situation and won the race.
Hamlin admitted he needed the late twist of events to secure the win. Larson, who was involved in the incident, mentioned he got nudged from behind by Bubba Wallace, impacting Truex’s chances of victory.
On the restart, Hamlin managed to stay ahead of Truex and other challengers, clinching a surprise victory. Hamlin credited his pit crew for their outstanding performance throughout the race.
Despite Hamlin’s win, Truex was dissatisfied with the outcome, feeling he had a car capable of winning. He expressed his frustration after the race but acknowledged that NASCAR confirmed Hamlin’s restart was within the rules.
Truex’s frustration boiled over after the race as he door-slammed Larson and bumped Hamlin from behind. Larson understood Truex’s frustration but hoped there were no hard feelings.
With Hamlin’s win, the Gibbs Toyota teams are now tied with the Chevrolet teams from Hendrick Motorsports for victories this season.
The race saw delays due to rain at the start, and cars used treaded tires initially before switching to racing slicks. Despite the interruptions, the competition provided an exciting finish, with Logano finishing second, followed by Larson and Truex.
