Defending Champ Denny Hamlin Claims Second Concrete Bristol Win as He Outsmarts Frenemy Martin Truex Jr

“We got another one! Thank you!” Denny Hamlin couldn’t have been more pleased with how his weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway had unfolded. The man amongst the most vocal against the track surface’s “weird” nature, Hamlin, surpassed a race filled with chaos and led changes to secure the 52nd win of his Cup Series career!

Denny Hamlin overcomes a race of great uncertainty to make it to the 2024 playoffs!

Throughout the race, the #11 Camry XSE belonging to Joe Gibbs Racing was in great form. Sticking with the first and second stage winner, Ty Gibbs, the #11 managed his tires better than the competition the entire day. While Martin Truex Jr took the lead with 18 laps to go, Hamlin came out on top to a mixed reaction of boos and cheers. Say what you will, NASCAR’s most controversial talent certainly put the bowtie on an action-packed race!

Denny Hamlin couldn’t have been more delighted to lock his spot in the playoffs with a win at Bristol. After all, it was the 23XI co-owner who had won the last race in 2020 at Bristol that was on concrete. He shared after the race, “Yeah just, that’s what I grew up doing here in the short tracks of the whole mid-Atlantic, so South Boston, Martinsville, all those tracks, that’s what I grew up doing.” 

Calling Bristol his ‘favourite’ track, Hamlin was ecstatic that the tides had turned in his favor. While the Joe Gibbs Racing drivers all looked formidable, Hamlin’s experience helped him outclass Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell. Still, the experience of Martin Truex Jr could have rained on the #11 garage parade. Fortunately, the #11 pit crew were one step ahead of their JGR counterparts, giving Hamlin the upper edge on the final restart.

Hamlin stated, “Once it became a tire management race, I really liked our chances, but obviously, the veteran in Martin, he knew how to do it as well and so, we just had a great car, a great team. Pit crew just did a phenomenal job all day. Can’t say enough about them…(..)..feels so good to win at Bristol.” 

READ MORE: Ty Gibbs Goes Back to Back as He Claims Second Career Stage Win at Bristol

Denny Hamlin was the recipient of major boos at Bristol as he dissected the well-deserved win. However, after hearing what Truex Jr had to say post-race, it becomes evident that the #11 crew just nailed every aspect of the Bristol race.

Martin Truex Jr highlights what set apart the #11 crew from his own at Bristol

This weekend at Bristol was uncertain, with the lead changing hands over 40 times throughout the race. Whilst those swaps were mainly conducted between all four JGR teammates fighting for the lead, Martin Truex Jr and Denny Hamlin’s experience with tire management outshined their younger teammates. So with a one-on-one battle brewing toward the end, Truex Jr was hoping his pit-stop would put him in front of the 23XI co-owner.

Unfortunately for Truex Jr, Hamlin’s pit-stop was lightning fast, helping the #11 extend its lead over the #19 of Truex Jr. Although the runner-up certainly had fun fighting with Hamlin like the good old days, he couldn’t help but feel a certain itch. Truex Jr shared after the race, “It would’ve been a lot more fun if I could’ve just come out of the pits with Denny, you know.” 

The #19 driver explained that he was right on Hamlin’s bumper before the two pitted for their final set of tires. HGe added, “When we came out, we were over a straightaway behind. So that was really the difference, you know, just too much ground to make up, and I had to use too much tire to get there. I tried to get there, and then save. And it just, the last five laps my right rear was gone so yeah, just lost too much time for the green flag sequence.” 

READ MORE: NASCAR Refuses to Overturn Kyle Larson’s Penalty Despite His Crew Chief Pinning the Blame on Kaz Grala’s Team

In a race where track position was everything, the #11 pit crew’s faster stop had ultimately handed Denny Hamlin a major advantage over Truex Jr for the final run.