Hamlin Wins at Gateway and Advances in NASCAR Playoffs: Key Victory!

Denny Hamlin Shows Dominance at Gateway and Advances in NASCAR Playoffs

NASCAR star driver Denny Hamlin once again demonstrated his ability to focus under pressure by securing a dominant victory at the World Wide Technology Raceway on Sunday. This triumph secures him a spot in the next round of the Cup Series playoffs. Despite personal and professional difficulties, including his father’s illness and the defeat of his 23XI Racing team in a legal battle with NASCAR, Hamlin remained calm and focused on the race. He started from the pole position and led a total of 75 laps out of 240, demonstrating an almost impeccable performance.

“I just have to keep getting better,” Hamlin declared after his fifth win of the season, the most in the series. “Each week is an opportunity to be a little bit better.”

Denny Hamlin

With this 59th career victory, Hamlin advanced to the second round of the playoffs, joining his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Chase Briscoe, who finished second. Chase Elliott placed third, followed by Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano, thus completing a top 5 dominated by playoff drivers on the 1.25-mile oval.

The No. 11 Toyota team called Hamlin to the pits for his final stop with 44 laps remaining, and the driver regained the lead after a caution 15 laps later. Hamlin passed Brad Keselowski on the restart, securing the 200th victory for Toyota in NASCAR’s premier series.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s driver celebrated with a long burnout in front of the crowd, who responded with boos, something Hamlin enjoyed.

“They can boo me, but they can get on the train or get run over by it,” Hamlin said. “I want all the noise and heat.”

Denny Hamlin

Hamlin, who is also a podcast co-host and co-owner of the 23XI Racing team alongside NBA legend Michael Jordan, seems to thrive in his role as a NASCAR villain. In Gateway, Hamlin became the seventh driver in NASCAR history with multiple wins after his 700th start. The team owner, Joe Gibbs, marvels at how Hamlin, who will turn 45 in November and welcomed his third child in June, can juggle so many responsibilities.

Hamlin’s victory brings him closer to his goal of winning his first Cup championship. The next race, which will take place at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 13, will be crucial in defining the group of 12 drivers who will advance in the playoffs. After the race at Gateway, Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman, and Josh Berry are outside the top 12 positions. Kyle Larson, after his twelfth place at Gateway, could secure his spot in the next round simply by starting at Bristol. Bubba Wallace, who finished eighth after leading 73 laps and winning the second stage, is also in a favorable position to advance. Berry will need a win at Bristol to advance to the next round, after debuting in the playoffs with two consecutive last-place finishes. The Wood Brothers Racing driver was tapped in the left rear by Elliott, causing Berry’s No. 21 Ford to hit the wall in Turn 2 on lap 36. “Chase and his team have done a lot for me, and I really doubt that was on purpose,” said Berry, who crashed on the first lap of the playoff race at Darlington Raceway. “Just the wrong place and the wrong time for us again. Obviously, it’s unfortunate. We’ll just 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 mean to hit him,” Elliott said. “I’ve known those guys all my life, so I just hope they know it wasn’t anything intentional. I felt terrible about it the moment it happened, and I wish I could turn back time.” Previously, NASCAR announced the passing of Bill Davis, whose teams won 40 races in the Cup, Xfinity, and Truck series from 1993 to 2008.