Page 20 - AT

A20 SPORTS
Monday 18 February 2019

Denny Hamlin cruises to 2nd Daytona 500 victory in 4 years

By JENNA FRYER and biggest win I’ve ever Busch said. “There wasn’t cautions and five wrecks in two, three, it just says he’s
AP Auto Racing Writer had in my life, in anything,” enough cars out there run- the final 20 laps of regula- up there watching and
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) Gibbs said. “It was the most ning at the end. I don’t tion. The race was stopped maybe gave (those) guys
— Denny Hamlin came to important night in my oc- know how it would have twice for cleanup totaling a little extra boost there at
the Daytona 500 deter- the end.”
mined to honor his late car Michael McDowell was fifth
owner with a victory. in a Ford but aggravated
He delivered with a story- Logano by not working with
book tribute for Joe Gibbs him in the two-lap overtime
Racing. sprint to the finish.
Hamlin won NASCAR’s big- “I just told him that my team
gest race for the second doesn’t pay me to push
time in four years Sunday, Joey Logano to a win,” Mc-
leading JGR in a 1-2-3 Dowell said.
sweep of the podium in Ty Dillon was sixth in the
overtime. The race and the highest-finishing Chevrolet.
season have been dedi- The race featured eight
cated to J.D. Gibbs, Joe drivers making their Day-
Gibbs’ eldest son who died tona 500 debuts and rookie
last month after battling a Ryan Preece, a short track
degenerative neurological racer from New England,
disease. was best in class with an
J.D. Gibbs helped his fa- eighth-place finish.
ther start the race team, Ross Chastain, the eighth-
ran it while Joe Gibbs was generation watermelon
coaching the Washington farmer who lost his main
Redskins, was a tire chang- ride for this year when the
er on the team’s first Day- FBI raided his sponsor right
tona 500 victory and the before Christmas, finished
one who discovered Ham- 10th,
lin during a test session at Jamie McMurray, the 2010
Hickory Motor Speedway in winner, led six laps and was
North Carolina. Hamlin was in the mix until he was col-
hired to drive the No. 11 — lected in one of the late
the number J.D. Gibbs used accidents. He finished 22nd
when he played football — in his final race before re-
and J.D. Gibbs’ name is on Denny Hamlin, center front, poses for a photo with his crew members after winning the NASCAR tirement.
the Toyota. Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Daytona William Byron and Alex
When Hamlin stopped his Beach, Fla. Bowman were the young-
car along the frontstretch Associated Press est front row in race history
to collect the checkered but had little to show for it
flag, he immediately cred- cupational life. I know J.D. played out.” nearly 40 minutes in the fi- after the race. Bowman fin-
ited J.D. Gibbs. and everybody in my fam- The Cup Series slogged nal stretch. During the sec- ished 11th and Byron, the
“The whole family, they did ily was emotional.” through three uninspir- ond red-flag, one of NAS- pole-sitter, was 21st.
so much for me over the Kyle Busch and Erik Jones ing exhibition races during CAR’s track-drying trucks Hamlin last year suffered
course of my career, and finished second and third Speedweeks to cause con- broke down while cleaning through his first winless sea-
this one is for J.D,” Hamlin as JGR became the sec- cern over a potentially dis- oil off the racing surface. son in the Cup Series and
said. “We are desperately ond team in NASCAR his- appointing main event. Jim Hamlin and Busch alternat- made a crew chief change
going to miss him the rest of tory to sweep the Daytona France, who took over as ed as the leaders during during the offseason. When
our lies. His legacy still lives 500 podium. Hendrick Mo- chairman of NASCAR last the handful of late restarts, he won the 500 in 2016 it
on through Joe Gibbs Rac- torsports did it in 1997 with August, used the pre-race and the final rush to the was his debut race with
ing and proud to do this for Jeff Gordon, Terry Labonte driver meeting to ask the checkered flag was a push crew chief Mike Wheeler,
them.” and Ricky Craven. drivers to liven up the activ- to hold off Ford driver and and this victory came in his
Hamlin was met in victory Busch, now winless in 14 ity. Hamlin and Chase Elliott reigning NASCAR champi- first race with Chris Gabe-
lane by the entire Gibbs Daytona 500s, was initially were the rare drivers to use on Joey Logano. The Ford hart.
family, including J.D.’s wid- openly disappointed in fall- the bottom lane in the ex- camp went 1-2-3 in both of Hamlin’s first Daytona 500
ow and four sons. ing short. hibition races while the rest Thursday’s qualifying races victory was in a photo finish
“He meant a lot to me and “He’s got two, I’ve got of the field ran single-file and was favored to win the against Martin Truex Jr. and
it’s hard for me not getting none, and that’s just the along the top. Daytona 500. the celebration was a blur.
choked up because I’ve way it goes sometimes,” “I hope a few of you drivers Logano, who started his This one, he said, he will en-
been choked up about Busch said. out there will get down on career at JGR, settled for joy. “I think I was so dumb-
100 times about it,” Ham- But he reiterated the JGR the bottom with Denny and fourth and also took a mo- founded about everything
lin said. “Just to have Me- and Toyota goal of working Chase and put on a good ment to honor J.D. Gibbs. that happened the first
lissa (Gibbs) and all the kids together to win the race show today,” France told “I’m not a Gibbs driver but time with the photo finish
here, it’s just crazy.” and noted he didn’t have the field. for what J.D. has done for and everything,” Hamlin
Joe Gibbs, the Hall of Fame much of a shot at beating The drivers obeyed and de- my career is the reason said.
NFL coach with three Super Hamlin because the field livered an action-packed why I’m sitting here today,” “This one lets me soak it in
Bowl victories, ranked the had been decimated by a and wreck-filled running Logano said. a little bit more. I’m going
tribute win to his son first flurry of late accidents. of “The Great American “As bad as I want to win it, to have a terrible hangover
in his career accomplish- “Was trying to make sure Race.” it is pretty cool to think that tomorrow, but I’m going
ments. one of us gets to victory There was an accident on the first race after his pass- to enjoy it the rest of my
“It is the most emotional lane, first and foremost,” pit road, a 21-car crash, 12 ing, to see those guys one, life.”q