9781422270783

. . . AND PULLS OFF RARE DAYTONA 500 BACK-TO-BACK After fending off last-lap charges by Joey Logano and Kyle Busch to nab the 2019 Daytona 500, Denny Hamlin returned a year later and won what is known as The Great American Race again. He joined an elite—and small—list of legendary drivers ever to pull off the incredibly difficult back-to-back feat. Hamlin’s Daytona double placed his name into the record books with Richard Petty (1973 and 1974), Cale Yarborough (1983 and 1984), and Sterling Marlin (1994 and 1995). The final lap of the 2020 race was dicey and dangerous: Hamlin, Ryan Newman, and Ryan Blaney reached the final turn tightly bunched, but Blaney’s bump of Newman set off a scary wreck. It took safety workers more than 10 minutes to extricate Newman from his car after Hamlin had crossed the finish line. Hamlin’s Victory Lane celebration was muted in the aftermath of the wreck as his first comments after his marquee win were focused on sending prayers to Newman.

Denny Hamlin won his third Daytona 500 in an exciting finish in the 2020 race.

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Superstars of the Speedway: Denny Hamlin