From NJ.com
Denny Hamlin won the Daytona 500 Sunday in the closest Daytona 500 ever, beating Martin Truex by inches.
Hamlin, who had led the race earlier, made his move in the final lap, chasing down leader Matt Kenseth and then holding off Truex, who actually had the lead for a few seconds on the final lap.
"Congratulations to Matt," Truex said. "He beat me by a couple of feet."
It might not even have been that much.
Kenseth failed to end Joe Gibbs Racing's 23-year drought in the Daytona 500. Gibbs had made it perfectly clear to his drivers: It's the 500 that matters most.
Gibbs won the Daytona 500 in 1993 with Dale Jarrett, but has failed to get a victory in NASCAR's biggest race since. When Denny Hamlin won last week's opening exhibition race, it was a mere consolation prize for Gibbs.
"The 500 is really, really special to him because he hasn't won it in 23 years," Hamlin said Tuesday at Daytona 500 media day. "That's a big number for such a good organization."
Dale Earnhardt Jr., pole-sitter Chase Elliott and fan favorite Danica Patrick were among the drivers who were forced from the races with crashes.
Earnhardt, seeking his third victory in "The Great American Race," was making a strong run to the front with 30 laps left when he lost control coming out of Turn 4. His No. 88 Chevrolet hit an inside wall and spun into the infield grass. It was similar to how Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott was knocked out of the race.
Earnhardt, who was running sixth at the time of the crash, was transported to the infield care center, evaluated and released.
"Caught me by surprise there," Junior said. "Just lost it."
Earnhardt entered the day as the heavy favorite. He ran strong in the Sprint Unlimited and won one of the twin qualifying races. And he liked his chances in the car nicknamed "Amelia."
Amelia had four wins, a second-place showing and a third-place finish in six starts at restrictor-plate races over the last 13 months.
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| The close finish between Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. in the 2016 Daytona 500 on February 21, 2016. |
Hamlin, who had led the race earlier, made his move in the final lap, chasing down leader Matt Kenseth and then holding off Truex, who actually had the lead for a few seconds on the final lap.
"Congratulations to Matt," Truex said. "He beat me by a couple of feet."
It might not even have been that much.
Kenseth failed to end Joe Gibbs Racing's 23-year drought in the Daytona 500. Gibbs had made it perfectly clear to his drivers: It's the 500 that matters most.
Gibbs won the Daytona 500 in 1993 with Dale Jarrett, but has failed to get a victory in NASCAR's biggest race since. When Denny Hamlin won last week's opening exhibition race, it was a mere consolation prize for Gibbs.
"The 500 is really, really special to him because he hasn't won it in 23 years," Hamlin said Tuesday at Daytona 500 media day. "That's a big number for such a good organization."
Dale Earnhardt Jr., pole-sitter Chase Elliott and fan favorite Danica Patrick were among the drivers who were forced from the races with crashes.
Earnhardt, seeking his third victory in "The Great American Race," was making a strong run to the front with 30 laps left when he lost control coming out of Turn 4. His No. 88 Chevrolet hit an inside wall and spun into the infield grass. It was similar to how Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott was knocked out of the race.
Earnhardt, who was running sixth at the time of the crash, was transported to the infield care center, evaluated and released.
"Caught me by surprise there," Junior said. "Just lost it."
Earnhardt entered the day as the heavy favorite. He ran strong in the Sprint Unlimited and won one of the twin qualifying races. And he liked his chances in the car nicknamed "Amelia."
Amelia had four wins, a second-place showing and a third-place finish in six starts at restrictor-plate races over the last 13 months.
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