Denny Hamlin won the Bojangles’ Southern 500 from
Darlington Raceway on Sunday night.
Hamlin had a strong car all night, but a pit miscue on
the final pit stop almost cost him the victory.
Hamlin missed pit road under green, and had to come back around before
he could complete his pit stop.
Sarah Crabill/Getty Images |
Hamlin said he thought his night was over when he
missed pit road and gave up 10 seconds to Martin Truex Jr.
“To get through the adversity we did right there, I
knew I had to drive my tail off to get it back,” Hamlin said.
The victory was Hamlin’s second Southern 500 victory,
and his second victory of the weekend following a win in Saturday’s Xfinity
race. Hamlin said this victory was more
special than his first victory at the track in 2010.
“So proud to be back here in victory lane in the Southern
500,” Hamlin said. “To have the family
around…it means so much more.”
“This track is just amazing; I love this
racetrack. It means everything to me, as
far as I’m concerned.”
Truex Jr. led 76 laps on Sunday and looked as though
he would wrap up another victory. But a
flat tire with two laps remaining allowed Hamlin to take the lead, and Truex
wound up eighth.
Truex said losing the race with such a fast car was a
disappointment.
“Sometimes these things just don’t go your way, and
tonight not much did,” Truex said. “We
had a fast car…just a phenomenal racecar on the long runs, and it was just two
laps too long.”
“I think I could have held him off if the tire didn’t
pop. I wish we could have got it
tonight, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”
Unofficial results:
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kyle Busch
3. Kurt Busch
4. Austin Dillon
5. Erik Jones
6. Matt Kenseth
7. Ryan Newman
8. Martin Truex Jr.
9. Kevin Harvick
10. Jamie McMurray
11. Chase Elliott
12. Jimmie Johnson
13. Ty Dillon
14. Kyle Larson
15. Brad Keselowski
16. Paul Menard
17. Chris Buescher
18. Joey Logano
19. Michael McDowell
20. Aric Almirola
21. Landon Cassill
22. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
23. Cole Whitt
24. Kasey Kahne
25. David Ragan
26. Danica Patrick
27. Matt DiBenedetto
28. Corey LaJoie
29. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
30. Jeffrey Earnhardt
31. Ryan Blaney
32. Derrike Cope
33. Carl Long
34. AJ Allmendinger
35. Trevor Bayne
36. Gray Gaulding
37. Cody Ware
38. Daniel Suarez
39. Reed Sorenson
40. Clint Bowyer
Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images |
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