Hamlin ends Gibbs drought, wins Daytona by nose

Another two-time champion, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had become a heavy favorite in the days leading up to the DAYTONA 500, after finishing third-fastest in the original qualifying session and then winning one of Thursday’s Can-Am Duel qualifying races.

But when the checkered flag was waved, the Washington Redskins legend had to endure what so many of his National Football League coaching brethren put up with on game day: a review to confirm whether he could finally celebrate after 23 years of not being in Daytona 500 Victory Lane.

Martin Truex Jr. expects to hear about this one for the rest of his career.

Denny Hamlin won Sunday’s Daytona 500 in the closest finish in the race’s history, and he’s been waiting for the crowning moment since elementary school. “I can’t even figure out what I did, but it all came together”. This wouldn’t have happened without all the Toyotas sticking together. 01 of a second in the 58th annual Daytona 500.

Denny Hamlin roared from fourth on the last lap to edge Martin Truex at the finish line and capture the closest-ever Daytona 500 by 0.01 of a second on Sunday.

As Hamlin pulled out of line, he surged toward leader Matt Kenseth, who tried to block on the outside.

Kenseth went outside to block any further advancement by Hamlin, who responded by darting to the middle as Kenseth’s auto slid back going into Turn 4.

“The last thing I wanted to do was wreck off turn four with my Toyota teammates and none of us win, ” Hamlin said. It just all came together, and I got a great push from Kevin Harvick. “This is the biggest win of my life”. Part of the incentive for Furniture Row to make the change in manufacturers was that it would also include an alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing that would provide equipment and maybe more importantly the sharing of information between Gibbs’ four teams and Truex Jr’s team. “The Daytona 500 … as a kid it’s what you [dream of winning] – this is the pinnacle of our sport and I’m just proud to be here”. I don’t know what happened. “We were in the right spot, we made the right moves.

“It gave him that couple inches to beat me to the line. I hated that it’s taken us this long”. It’s hard to make those decisions. Once he did it, I swore I thought about doing it. Once I thought about doing it and didn’t do it, it was too late. “Live and learn. I think if I get in that position again, I’ll do it a little bit differently”.

DiBenedetto later added: “I have no excuse”. “Once Denny jumped up, he just got such a huge boost from (Harvick)”. Kenseth got a little loose, dinged Hamlin and briefly touched the wall.

“If I can’t win, I want my teammate to win”, Kenseth said.

Carl Edwards, who damaged the front end of his vehicle in a lap 57 mishap that also involved Brian Vickers, came from a lap down to end up with a fifth-place finish.

Exactly three weeks prior to winning the Daytona 500 Sunday, Denny Hamlin, who owns a house at The Greenbrier and wears the White Sulphur Springs resort’s logo on the sleeve of his racing suit, was inside the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center, serving as the guest speaker for the annual Big Atlantic Classic.