Joe Gibbs grateful to win another Daytona 500 alongside ailing son

Sunday’s 58th running of the Daytona 500 proved to be a huge overall success for Toyota teams led by Denny Hamlin giving the manufacturer its first win in “The Great American Race”. He entered the final lap in fourth place, but made a charge to the front, passing Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch. With Sunday’s win, he’s now automatically qualified for NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff series at the end of the season and can race the remainder of the season without the pressure of making the field to ultimately determine a champion. “You know I haven’t got a championship yet and this is obviously the biggest for myself”, said Denny Hamlin.

Hamlin became the first driver since Davey Allison in 1992 to win the Daytona 500 after leading at the halfway point.

“With two to go, I said that we have to get the team victory no matter what it takes and I essentially was trying to go up there and block the 4 to keep him from getting to those guys, but he gave me such a strong push, I just went with it and we ended up with a victory. I just got the push”.

As the final lap took shape, Hamlin came from several rows back in the high lane, ducked into the middle past a blocking Kenseth, and won a drag race to the line with Truex for the win. He will try to run his winning streak to two at next week’s Folds Of Honor Quiktrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Kevin Harvick, who won the 2007 Daytona 500, edged out JGR driver Carl Edwards for fourth.

“I didn’t think the outside was going to be able to do it to be honest with you”, he later added.

“It’s our single biggest race in our company’s history”, said David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development (TRD). “But this is a great way to start that goal and I’m very proud of the effort put forth here at Daytona”. Last year, a Toyota won the Brickyard 400, and a Toyota driver, Kyle Busch, won the Sprint Cup championship.

Perhaps the best finish in Daytona 500 history. I made a couple of drafting errors and then one of the pit stops we had to wait on fuel.

“They don’t get much more crushing than that”, Kenseth said.

Non-finishers included pole victor Chase Elliott and teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr., each of whom spun out on the front-stretch.

“He [Harvick] just kept pushing and hitting the back of my back bumper”, Hamlin said.

Winner Hamlin led 95 circuits.

“I mean, I could have chopped (Earnhardt) a little bit more, but I saw in my mirror it would have been close and it’s just not – this isn’t the time to cut it close”, Hamlin said. He returned to the race 40 laps later.

Coach Joe Gibbs went to console Matt on pit road, telling Motorsport.com that he just wanted to listen and be there for him. I did all the way up until that last couple of feet. The intensity and talent Busch exhibited before last year’s crash remains as demonstrated with his performance in Sunday’s Daytona 500. We’re team players, and we’re in it for the long haul with them. Im probably one of the most blessed guys in the world.”.

“I did all I could”, Truex said.

“I don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel as far as my career is concerned, but I’m in the darkness”, Hamlin said.

“This is wonderful for Toyota”, Hamlin said.

Be proactive – Use the “Flag as Inappropriate” link at the upper right corner of each comment to let us know of abusive posts. First, it’s a race that he has dreamed about winning since he was a little kid and has worked diligently at becoming one of the better restrictor-plate drivers in NASCAR.