Hamlin claims fourth season win with Atlanta victory
Amanda Vincent, NASCAR Correspondent
Photo by: Action Sports Photography
The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team got driver Denny Hamlin off pit road first during a caution that came out with five laps to go in the AdvoCare 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday night, and Hamlin did his part by staying up front for the final two laps to claim his fourth win of the season.
"This is one I wanted read bad," Hamlin said. "I've been really good here the last few years and not won one."
I've been really good here the last few years and not won one.
Jeff Gordon got his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet by the No. 56 Michael Waltrip Toyota of Martin Truex Jr. in the final laps to take the runner up spot.
"I should've just gotten into him (Hamlin) in turn three, and then we'd be in victory lane," Gordon said after the race.
Truex wound up fourth, as Brad Keselowski also got by in the No. 2 Penske Racing Dodge for the third spot.
"All night long, I had trouble on the outside, spinning the tires," Truex said of the final restart of the race.
Between Hamlin and Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, JGR led much of the race.
Kevin Harvick, though, did take the lead in his No. 29 Richard Childress Chevrolet on a restart following a caution that came out for debris on lap 29.
Hamlin retook the lead by getting off of pit road ahead of Harvick when the next caution came out with 84 laps remaining in the 325-lap event. Truex got by Hamlin to take the lead with 44 laps to go. He continued to run up front until Hamlin beat him off of pit road during the sixth and final caution of the race that came out with five laps remaining.
Hamlin and Truex restarted on the front row for a green-white-checker sprint to the finish. Hamlin was able to remain up front, but Truex lost positions to both Gordon and Keselowski in the final laps.
Harvick finished fifth. Busch was sixth, Dale Earnhardt Jr. seventh in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and Paul Menard was eighth in the No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. The No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford of Matt Kenseth finished ninth, and the No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota of Mark Martin rounded out the top-10.
Be part of Motorsport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
NASCAR stars partner to purchase CARS late model series
Dale Jr. on Next Gen's 'surgical' steering and the challenge it presents
Earnhardt, Stewart, Bowyer to test NASCAR Next Gen car
Power “didn't have any defense” against Dixon due to tire strategy
Was Long Beach really Scott Dixon’s greatest IndyCar drive yet?
Why Penske remains ambitious for its WEC learning year
When Senna broke his F1 duck by walking on water
Josh Berry "not necessarily panicked" over tough 2024 season
Greg Biffle among new 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees
Krack: Aston Martin frustrated by inconsistent F1 penalty decisions
The ex-F1 driver taking on NASCAR with a new team
The early benefits and challenges of NASCAR's Next Gen car
How Penske's rookie sensation opened NASCAR's new era in style
Six key themes to follow in the 2022 NASCAR Cup season
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments