Hamlin Wins; Harvick, Logano Eliminated at Bristol
Denny Hamlin emerged victorious at the Bristol Motor Speedway’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race, delivering a powerful performance by taking the lead on Lap 366 of 500 and outpacing Kyle Larson by 2.462 seconds. Hamlin led an impressive 135 laps in the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, totalling 142 overall, second only to the 187 laps led by pole winner Christopher Bell, who finished third. All five playoff Toyota drivers, led by Hamlin, advanced to the next round, showcasing Toyota’s strength in this phase of the championship.
Martin Truex Jr. secured his position for another round, while Bubba Wallace survived elimination due in part to higher-scored drivers suffering unexpected issues. Wallace advanced to the Round of 12 by a narrow four-point margin after finishing in 14th place and one lap down.
Kevin Harvick, winner of the inaugural playoff-style post-season in 2014, won’t be competing for the championship in his final Cup racing season. Harvick struggled throughout the race and finished 29th, five laps down, also missing the Round of 12 by four points.
In a dramatic turn of events, a wreck on the backstretch ended Joey Logano’s chances of advancing to the Round of 12, marking the first time a defending champion exited the postseason in the opening round. Logano finished 34th and missed the Round of 12 by four points.
Despite commendable efforts on the track, both Michael McDowell and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were also unable to secure the points needed to advance to the next round and joined Harvick and Logano below the cut line.
Hamlin expressed his appreciation, saying, “I want to thank the entire FedEx team for their outstanding performance in this first round. They’ve been exceptional. We’re thrilled with how we’re running, and we’re eager to continue our momentum. It feels like our year.”
Chris Buescher followed Bell to secure their places in the next round. Brad Keselowski and William Byron also advanced, as did Tyler Reddick, Truex, Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, and Ross Chastain.
Ty Gibbs finished fifth after leading 102 laps, and McDowell secured sixth place, followed by Chase Elliott, Keselowski, Byron, and Stenhouse.
RESULTS:
- Denny Hamlin
- Kyle Larson
- Christopher Bell
- Chris Buescher
- Ty Gibbs
- Michael McDowell
- Chase Elliott
- Brad Keselowski
- William Byron
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr
- Carson Hocevar
- Ryan Preece
- Alex Bowman
- Bubba Wallace
- Tyler Reddick
- Todd Gilliland
- Austin Dillon
- Aric Almirola
- Martin Truex Jr
- Kyle Busch
- Daniel Suarez
- Ryan Blaney
- Ross Chastain
- Erik Jones
- Corey Lajoie
- JJ Yeley
- Chase Briscoe
- Harrison Burton
- Kevin Harvick
- AJ Allmendinger
- BJ McLeod
- Austin Cindric
- Ty Dillon
- Joey Logano
- Justin Haley
- Ryan Newman
