Hamlin Dominates at Gateway and Advances to NASCAR Playoffs: Key Victory

Denny Hamlin Dominates at Gateway and Advances in NASCAR Playoffs

In a demonstration of concentration and skill, Denny Hamlin took the victory at the World Wide Technology Raceway, securing his advance in the Cup Series playoffs. Despite personal and professional challenges, the NASCAR driver demonstrated his ability to stay focused and perform at his best. Hamlin, who started from the pole position and led 75 laps, achieved his fifth victory of the season. “I just have to keep being a student of the game, keep trying to improve, and every week is an opportunity to get a little better,” Hamlin stated after his 59th career win. With this victory, Hamlin advances to the second round of the playoffs, joining his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Chase Briscoe, who took second place. Chase Elliott completed the podium, followed by Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano, demonstrating the dominance of the playoff drivers in this race. The No. 11 team’s strategy brought Hamlin to the pits with 44 laps remaining, and a subsequent caution allowed him to regain the lead. Hamlin overtook Brad Keselowski on the restart, securing Toyota’s 200th victory in NASCAR’s premier series. The Hamlin celebration included a long burnout, which was met with boos from the crowd. “They can boo me, but they can get on the train or get run over by it,” said Hamlin, enjoying his role as a villain in NASCAR. Hamlin, who is also a podcast co-host and co-owner of the 23XI Racing team alongside NBA legend Michael Jordan, has shown that he can juggle multiple roles without affecting his performance on the track. At Gateway, Hamlin became the seventh driver in NASCAR history with multiple wins after his 700th start. The team owner, Joe Gibbs, praised Hamlin’s ability to handle so many responsibilities. “He has a real determination to succeed,” Gibbs commented.

Denny Hamlin celebrates after crossing the finish line at Gateway and advancing in the NASCAR playoffs.Hamlin seeks his first Cup championship, and with this victory, he took another step toward that goal, securing his place in the next round before the September 13 race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The first round cut race will reduce the playoff field from 16 to 12 drivers. After Gateway, Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman, and Josh Berry are outside the top 12. Kyle Larson, after a 12th place finish at Gateway, could secure his spot in the next round just by participating in Bristol. Bubba Wallace, who finished eighth after leading 73 laps and winning the second stage, is also in a favorable position. Josh Berry will need a win at Bristol to advance to the next round after debuting in the playoffs with two consecutive last-place finishes. Berry was impacted by Elliott, which caused his No. 21 Ford to hit the wall on lap 36. “Chase and his team have done a lot for me, and I really doubt that was on purpose,” Berry said. “It was just the wrong place, the wrong time for us again. Obviously, it’s unfortunate. We’ll go to Bristol and try to do our best and put ourselves in a position to compete for a win, and that’s really all we can do at this point.” Elliott apologized for the incident after the race.

“I didn’t intend to hit him,” Elliott said. “I’ve known those guys my whole life, so I just hope they know it wasn’t anything intentional. I felt terrible about it right when it happened, and I wish I could rewind time.”

Chase Elliott

On Sunday, NASCAR announced the passing of Bill Davis, whose teams won 40 races in the Cup, Xfinity, and Truck series between 1993 and 2008.