In a race that battled to discover a rhythm partially on account of battles with the climate, Hamlin took management within the second half after he grabbed the lead from his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team-mate Ty Gibbs with 141 of 500 laps remaining.
Because the race remained caution-free the remainder of the way in which, Hamlin was not critically challenged and cruised to a 2.437-second win over Kyle Larson, who had began {dead} final within the race, whereas Gibbs fell to fifth.
Hamlin’s third win of 2023 wasn’t easy. He was penalised for rushing throughout a pitstop beneath the primary warning of the race, triggered when Austin Cindric and A.J. Allmendinger wrecked on the frontstretch, and needed to restart from the rear of the sector. Larson had suffered an identical destiny for working over gear.
After being met by a cascade of boos from the group, Hamlin lauded his staff’s efficiency. He had proven himself to have a automotive able to successful the primary two playoff races, however the perfect he had come away with was runner-up final weekend at Kansas after a late caution swung the advantage in favour of Tyler Reddick.
“So comfortable about the way in which we’re working, cannot wait to maintain going,” Hamlin stated. “It is our 12 months, I simply really feel like we have all of it put collectively.
“We have the pace each single sort of race monitor. Nothing to cease us at this level.”
Requested if the boos had been a motivating issue, Hamlin stated, “Hey, I beat your favourite driver, all of ’em.”
Fellow JGR driver Christopher Bell, who gained the primary two phases and led essentially the most laps (187) ultimately completed third, Chris Buescher was fourth forward of Gibbs.
Race winner Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota Camry
Picture by: Gavin Baker / NKP / Motorsport Images
Finishing the top-10 had been Michael McDowell, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, William Byron and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Nevertheless, the outcome wasn’t sufficient to maintain McDowell and Daytona 500 winner Stenhouse in rivalry for the championship with the completion of the primary spherical of the playoffs.
The duo fail to progress to the Spherical of 12 together with reigning collection champion Logano, who was compelled into retirement after sustaining heavy harm to his left-rear nook when hit by a spinning Corey LaJoie, and the retiring Kevin Harvick after the 2014 Cup champion made contact with the wall a pair occasions and completed 5 laps down.
Martin Truex Jr. stays in title rivalry after he received into the wall and introduced out the sixth warning of the race. He is joined within the Spherical of 12 by Byron, Hamlin, Larson, Buescher, Kyle Busch, Bell, Reddick, Ross Chastain, Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace.