Denny Hamlin predicted he’d win at Dover, confidently stating it on his podcast. True to his word, he outpaced Kyle Larson in a tight race, steering his Toyota to victory at Dover Motor Speedway.
Moving past slower cars, Hamlin kept Larson at bay in the final laps, clinching victory by a slim margin. Reflecting on his bold prediction, Hamlin acknowledged the pressure to deliver on his words.
This win adds to Hamlin’s successful season, following his recent celebration at Talladega Superspeedway as a co-owner of 23XI Racing, where Tyler Reddick triumphed. Although Michael Jordan, his co-owner, often commands attention, this time, Hamlin relished the spotlight as the winning driver for Joe Gibbs Racing at Dover.
Hamlin had a strong feeling he’d win, even publicly announcing it and drawing comparisons to Babe Ruth’s famous prediction. On his podcast, he confidently declared victory at Dover’s Monster Mile.
Leading for 136 laps, Hamlin secured his second career win at Dover. After the race, he and his team celebrated with three fingers up, marking their third win of the season.
With three wins this season, Hamlin is tied with William Byron and has clinched his 54th Cup win, all with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Reflecting on his achievement, he humbly acknowledged his place alongside legends like Lee Petty.
From the season opener to his latest victory, Hamlin’s performance has been consistent. Despite Larson’s persistent challenge, Hamlin maintained his lead in the final laps, clinching victory and denying Larson’s attempts to overtake him.
“I couldn’t make any moves,” Larson explained. “I just couldn’t find the speed to catch up and make a difference.” When Hamlin took the checkered flag, the crowd’s boos were louder, likely due to the packed grandstands.
Despite rain delays in previous years, the weather was sunny on Sunday, drawing a large crowd close to the track’s capacity of 54,000. While exact numbers aren’t released, it was the largest crowd at Dover since before the pandemic.
Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, and Chase Elliott finished in the top five.
