Denny Hamlin Clinches Victory with Pit Crew Power and Larson Assist
Denny Hamlin took home the win in dramatic fashion, crediting his success to his crew and an unexpected helping hand. “There are two people I really love right now: my pit crew and Kyle Larson,” Hamlin said with a grin. “The crew was lights out. They won us the race last week, and they did it again today. This win is all about them.”
William Byron crossed the line in second, visibly disappointed after leading much of the race. “I’m proud of the team and our execution. We were on track to lead every lap—it felt like the perfect race,” Byron said. “But once we lost control after the green-flag cycle, there was no getting it back. It’s going to sting, but there are still positives to take away.”
Christopher Bell rounded out the podium in third after what he described as a puzzling day. “We were nowhere early, barely inside the top 20. Then a timely caution changed everything,” he said. “These cars are strange, but our team nailed the execution and strategy. I’m proud to walk away with a top-five.”
Ryan Blaney finished fifth and thought he had a shot at the win. “I’ll need to rewatch that caution—feels like it cost us,” he admitted. “We had great pace and solid strategy. It just didn’t fall our way today. I really wanted to win here.”
Chris Buescher came home sixth and praised the speed of his Mustang. “We clawed our way back after that caution. The crew made great calls, and we were right back in it by the end,” Buescher said.
Ross Chastain, finishing seventh, fought through adversity after a poorly timed caution. “We had to take the wave-around and charge through the field. Phil and the crew did a great job getting us back into the top 10.”
Ty Gibbs claimed ninth with optimism. “Definitely an improvement,” he said. “We’re gaining confidence and getting valuable reps. The future looks promising.”
Kyle Busch, in 10th, called it a “hard-fought finish.” “We kept adjusting the car and finally got some speed at the end,” he said. “Just a little too late to make a bigger push.”
Austin Cindric finished 11th after falling a lap down due to an ill-timed caution. “We were strong early but spent most of the day recovering,” he noted. “We ended on a positive note with some strong moves at the finish.”
Joey Logano, 13th, said his team kept him in the mix all day. “The strategy was solid. We just didn’t have the pace in the final run.”
Daniel Suárez, 15th, had a middling day. “The car stayed tight. Strategy didn’t favor us. We’ll regroup for Bristol.”
Ty Dillon, 16th, overcame early setbacks. “We started in a hole and fought hard. The team stayed calm and resilient.”
Erik Jones, in 17th, lamented a loose-handling car in the final stage. “We had a top-10 car mid-race, but it got away from us when it counted.”
AJ Allmendinger, 18th, was frustrated by how quickly things changed. “We were solid early, but balance disappeared in the second half. Cautions didn’t help either.”
Shane van Gisbergen, 20th, saw progress despite mid-race struggles. “We started well and learned a lot. The handling went away, but we managed tires well late and salvaged a decent finish.”
Austin Dillon, 23rd, worked through a tight setup and traffic. “We fought back into the top 10 late, but a caution ruined our momentum.”
Michael McDowell, 29th, called the day disappointing. “We started strong but missed the setup entirely. Strategy didn’t help either. One to forget.”
John Hunter Nemechek, 30th, echoed that sentiment. “We lacked grip and track position. A few positives in the middle, but we couldn’t hang on.”
Austin Hill, 31st, treated the race as a learning experience. “We showed potential in the middle stages. Just didn’t have the endgame strategy.”
Josh Berry, 36th, was caught up in a collision. “It was a racing deal with Reddick. We had a solid car, and it’s unfortunate we didn’t get to show it fully.”
