Denny Hamlin wins Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway

Denny Hamlin brings the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry to his second victory this season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series by winning the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlingon Raceway. It’s his second win at Darlington and 31st Cup Series win in a career.

Hamlin made a fantastic comeback to score Darlington’s victory after he missed the entrance to pit road on lap 313 (of 367). After that, he was twenty seconds behind race leader Martin Truex Jr. but he managed to cut that gap. Truex was struggling with worn-out tyres, touching the wall on lap 365. He cut a tire and the race was over for him. In the same time, Hamlin jumped into the lead and run away to his 31st career victory.

Hamlin beat JGR teammate Kyle Busch to the finish line by 2.599 seconds. The older brother Kurt Busch finished third in the #41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. Earlier in the race, Martin Truex Jr won both stages, despite leading just 34 of the first 200 laps, to clinch the regular-season championship.

One more race is scheduled, at Richmond Raceway, before Championship Playoffs will start.