CONCORD, N.C. -
This was the one race Denny Hamlin has been dreaming about.
Hamlin lastly obtained the win he has coveted for the final 17 years, holding off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch in extra time Sunday evening to win the longest -- and maybe wildest -- Coca-Cola 600 in historical past.
Hamlin received for the forty eighth time within the Cup Collection, and for the time in a factors race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
"It's so particular. That's the final large one that isn't on my resume," mentioned Hamlin, who has received the Daytona 500 and the Southern 500 3 times every and the All-Star Race. "We weren't superb all day, however obtained ourselves in the suitable place on the proper time."
Automobile proprietor Joe Gibbs mentioned he knew this was an necessary win for Hamlin.
"With Denny to race that tough and that lengthy and to be right here and know the way necessary this race is true right here in our yard, that is simply an enormous deal," Gibbs mentioned.
NASCAR's longest and most grueling race lasted greater than 5 hours and took 619 miles to finish. There have been 18 warning flags and 16 drivers failed to complete. The race featured a 12-car wreck and a powerful crash that despatched Chris Buescher's automotive flipping over 5 instances earlier than stopping the wrong way up.
"That is the wildest and craziest 600 that has ever occurred," TV analyst Clint Bowyer mentioned at one level on the Fox Sports activities broadcast.
Defending race champion Kyle Larson had struggled with adversity all evening, incurring two pit penalties, a fireplace in his pit stall and on the again of his automotive and a spin out. But he discovered himself with a golden probability to win when he took the lead with 46 laps left.
However with two laps left, Chase Briscoe tried to move Larson and crashed, bringing out the yellow warning flag and sending the race to extra time.
Larson had the within lane on the restart in extra time, however Austin Dillon obtained a push from the second row and shortly was working four-wide together with Larson, Hamlin and Ross Chastain.
However a crash ensued involving a number of automobiles with Larson nipping Dillon, sending each automobiles spinning.
"I obtained a bit of free and tried to make it stick," Dillon mentioned. "It did not fairly work on the market. I needed to do what I needed to do to win the race given the place we're in factors. We had a shot there to carry residence one other 600."
The crash ended Larson's probability to turn out to be the primary repeat winner of the occasion since Jimmie Johnson received three straight from 2003-05. Larson wound up ending ninth.
It additionally arrange Hamlin for the win.
On the subsequent restart, Hamlin took the lead and held off Busch for the win. Kevin Harvick completed third and Briscoe was fourth.
"Contemplating how my day went, I used to be going to be content material with a fourth-place end," Hamlin mentioned.
Hamlin mentioned all of it labored out completely.
"I have been a Coke household driver for 18 years. By no means received the Coke 600 earlier than. This implies rather a lot," Hamlin mentioned.
There was an enormous wreck on lap 192 the place Ryan Blaney, who received final weekend's All-Star race, obtained too low on the apron on the underside of the observe and spun again up the observe. That began a sequence response that caught up 12 automobiles, sending a few of NASCAR's prime stars -- Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Bubba Wallace, William Byron and Chase Elliott amongst them -- behind the wall for good.
Elliott led 93 laps earlier than the crash and gave the impression to be the automotive to beat.
"It is chaos on the market," Byron mentioned. "You'll be able to't drive the automotive the slightest bit sideways otherwise you're wrecked. So, if anyone will get a bit of bit sideways, then all of us wreck. It both takes out different folks or they spin to the infield. Simply chaos."
Mentioned Busch: "I feel I hit about 15 various things."
Blaney mentioned the wreck occurred when he obtained too low on the apron on the backside of the observe.
"Gosh I hate it," Blaney mentioned. "Makes you are feeling fairly dumb for doing that. I hate it tore up our automotive and a handful of others. ... I simply did not know the place I used to be at and simply made a mistake."
The carnage wasn't over as Buescher's No. 17 Ford flipped 5 instances earlier than touchdown on its roof after a collision on the entrance stretch with Daniel Suarez. Buescher needed to wait till observe officers flipped his automotive again over earlier than he may get out of the automotive.
He mentioned that it was extra painful than his earlier flip in Talladega.
"I do admire them for serving to me and setting it again over once more, so thanks to everyone working for not slamming it again," Buescher mentioned. "It was good to have the ability to get out. The blood is dashing to your head a bit of bit. I suppose I may have pulled the belts and fallen proper to the bottom, however figured I'd simply wait on them."
Elliott received the primary stage, whereas TrackHouse Racing teammates Suarez and Chastain received the second and third phases, respectively.
The race additionally included Tanner Andrews, a tire changer for Joey Logano's pit crew, getting his proper foot clipped by pole sitter Hamlin on pit highway.
The NASCAR Cup Collection heads to the St. Louis space on Sunday.
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