Latest news with #MonsterMile
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Denny Hamlin shows killer Monster Mile mentality, giving NASCAR fans a thrilling OT win
DOVER − This is what Dover Motor Speedway officials must have dreamed about. A brilliantly hot and humid summer day, with race fans and non-race fans alike taking in the "Miles Beach" and all the accoutrements, the concerts on the various stages, and all of the activities on the outside of the track. Then those who sat in the grandstand saw a AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 race that was thrilling throughout, including two overtimes, on July 20. RAIN, OVERTIME AT DOVER: Thrilling NASCAR race at Dover has rain delay with 14 laps left, OT as 2 top drivers battle That was especially true after a brief rain shower that stopped the race with 14 laps remaining. When racing resumed after a one-hour delay, Denny Hamlin ended up winning for the third time at Dover, and for the second straight year, by holding off Chase Briscoe to win after 407 laps. Hamlin is the 19th driver to win three races at Dover, and the 13th to win back-to-back races at the Monster Mile. And this victory showed why Hamlin is the perfect driver for the Monster Mile, and the high-banked oval is the perfect track for him. "I'm just so highly competitive," Hamlin said. "That's the only way I can explain it. I just don't know if there's anyone on the face of the earth that's more competitive than I am. I'm sure there is, I just don't know. "And so, I just feel like, when I'm tested, I'm going to give you a little more. If you doubt me, I'm going to give you a little more. I just feel like I thrive in game-time moments." Hamilton had three of those moments. First, Hamlin had to hold off Christopher Bell for about 40 laps after taking the lead on Lap 343. With storm clouds moving in, Bell knew that he would have to make his move, either hoping to finish the race in first place before the rain hit, or at least be in the lead when the race was stopped. Then magically, the skies cleared after a brief rainstorm, thus making it inevitable that the race would resume once the track was dried. So Bell immediately went for the lead upon the green flag on Lap 392. Hamlin wouldn't give in and Bell crashed. That set up overtime. On the next restart on Lap 399, Briscoe was in second place, and immediately went after Hamlin. Another crash on that first lap led to another restart on Lap 405. This time, Hamlin had to hold off Briscoe again as Briscoe tried cutting underneath him. "I thought I had him," Briscoe said. "I was so close to clearing him. I just couldn't do it." Briscoe had fresher tires, pitting after the red flag for rain. Hamlin last pitted for tires on Lap 327, meaning that Briscoe's were 60 laps fresher. So after the second overtime restart, Briscoe attacked. But Hamlin wasn't going to be denied. No wonder Hamlin's crew chief, Chris Gayle, said, "that was tough on the ticker." Then he added: "Give kudos to Denny. When you get him in a situation where he's got the ball in his hands, and it's time to go win the race, he finds a way to do that most times." And that goes to show the beauty of the "Monster Mile." It's not for the timid or faint of heart. Alex Bowman, who won the spring race in 2021, was the last time a non-Hall of Fame driver, or one who's going to be in the NASCAR Hall, won here since Greg Biffle in the spring race in 2005. But Bowman had won four races in 2021, so it's not like his victory at Dover came out of the blue. Bowman, by the way, was third on July 20. "It was good, hard racing," Hamlin said. "You've got three guys racing (for the lead), and you gotta show them who's boss." "It's critical, right," Gayle said about having that mentality. "Some guys will shy away from that moment. Some guys will embrace it ... He wants to be in that situation, to be able to get a win, and that's what happened." So yes, there was something for everyone, both on the track and off. A subplot to the race was the NASCAR In-Season Tournament Challenge. Dover represented the fourth of five races as 32 drivers were seeded and paired up in a bracket-style situation with the winner advancing and the loser being eliminated. At Dover, Ty Dillon, seeded No. 32 and last, won his fourth straight matchup, finishing 20th overall and beating his semifinal opponent John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 12 seed. Ty Gibbs, seeded No. 6, beat Tyler Reddick in the other semifinal. Dillon will face Gibbs next Sunday at the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis. The winner takes home $1 million. PROVING GROUND: NASCAR at Dover: Why this 3-time winner has most to prove. Is Katherine Legge racing? And there was more intrigue. There are five races to go before the playoff field is set, following the Daytona race on Aug. 23. So far, 12 drivers have won a race and thus qualified for the 16-driver playoff field held over the final 10 races of the season. Three of those drivers − Shane van Gisbergen (26th), Josh Berry (21st) and Austin Cindric (20th) − are beyond the top 16, meaning that they could bump three drivers in the top 16 who haven't won a race this season. There was little chance of one of those drivers winning at Dover. The Monster is just too unforgiving, and Hamlin is too unrelenting. Celebrate the Eagles' Super Bowl win with our new book Hamlin wasn't angst-ridden, wondering if the race would resume as the rains come down. Rather, he was counting on it, thinking, "Who am I going to beat next?" So Hamlin said he smiled when he heard the fans in the stands cheering as the rain stopped, a rainbow formed, and the drying trucks came out. Soon after, the race restarted, and Hamlin was holding off any and all challengers. Hamlin was ready. So were the fans at Dover. "You had fans out there who were very enthusiastic when they saw the sun come out," Hamlin said. "I loved that enthusiasm from the fan base. (NASCAR) wanted to give them all the racing that they could at the end of that race." Hamlin made it worthwhile, a fitting finish to a chaotic Dover race weekend, Miles Beach, rain, overtime, and everything in between. Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@ Follow on X @Mfranknfl. Read his coverage of the Eagles' championship season in 'Flying High,' a new hardcover coffee-table book from Delaware Online/The News Journal. Details at This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Denny Hamlin thrills NASCAR, Dover Motor Speedway fans in OT victory
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Denny Hamlin Does a 'Dover CEO' Coldplay KissCam Pose After NASCAR Victory
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin has shared a photo of himself on X, mimicking Astronomer CEO Andy Byron by hugging the Monster Mile trophy after his Cup Series win at Dover. Hamlin got in on the trending moment sweeping social media after Byron was reportedly spotted hugging the head of human resources, Kristin Cabot, on the KissCam during Coldplay's concert. The pair did not want their alleged affair to be made public. However, their reaction to being featured on the KissCam caused a great stir, making headlines worldwide. The Cup victory was Hamlin's 58th so far, which arrived after an interesting battle in the last leg of the race with Chase Briscoe, who finished second. The race was red-flagged for an hour due to heavy rain, following which, Briscoe added significant pressure on Hamlin during the overtime restarts. However, he finished behind Hamlin by a margin of 0.310s. Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway on July 20, 2025 in Dover, Delaware. Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway on July 20, 2025 in Dover, decided to have some fun after winning the Dover Cup race, mimicking the pose that went viral recently. He wrote in the caption, "Dover's CEO." Many fans have reacted to the post that received over 4,500 likes. Some comments are quoted below: This fan said it: "That's it, the meme is officially over." That's it, the meme is officially over 🤣 — SteelHorseLive (@SteelHorseLive) July 21, 2025 A compliment for the race win: "That's awesome. You drove a fantastic race. Good job." That's awesome. You drove a fantastic race. Good job. — Dr. Claude allain (@Claudeallain5) July 21, 2025 Some more praise: "Say what you will about Denny but damn dude just gets better with time. Dude controlled the race and knows how to drive this gen 7." Say what you will about Denny but damn dude just gets better with time. Dude controlled the race and knows how to drive this gen 7 — Seth Harwell (@The_SethHarwell) July 21, 2025 This is a good point: "Where's coldplay when you need them?" where's coldplay when you need them? — Jacob Morgan (@Jacobdean1342) July 21, 2025 Hamlin acknowledged after the race that he had shifted his driving style for Dover after being inspired by Jimmie Johnson and Martin Truex. He said: "Well, it's twofold. There's two things. One is obviously my driving. I've talked about that, changing my style to more of a Martin Truex and Jimmie Johnson style. "I just studied some of the greats here. I was very fortunate to have Martin Truex as a teammate. Jimmie Johnson, watching him win (11) times here. You learn from the greats and you change your game to match it, you have success like this. "The other is focusing on what I need to tell the team to make the car better, identifying where I'm losing time, then focusing on what I need to tell them how I can go faster in that section of the racetrack. Just try not to get caught up too much in... "NASCAR is an emotional game where you really kind of get caught up in shit that doesn't matter. So I just try to look at it from a very straightforward point of view, numbers point of view. "Find out where I'm bad, analyse what I'm doing, analyse the best, then figure out how I can go faster like them, then give that information to the team. "It typically takes me a little bit longer to give the team the feedback that they're needing because I like to analyse it, make sure it's right, before I tell them. But it's just changing my mentality on that process and how I'm doing it." Hamlin became the 19th Cup Series driver to win three times at Dover after his victory on Sunday.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Fox News
Denny Hamlin Survives Rain Delay, Overtime Finish to Win Again at Dover
Denny Hamlin went back-to-back at Dover Motor Speedway, holding a late lead through a rain delay and an overtime finish Sunday for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver's series-best fourth victory of the season. Hamlin won in the No. 11 Toyota for the second straight time at Dover to add to wins this season at Martinsville, Darlington and Michigan. Hamlin has 58 NASCAR Cup Series victories, leaving him two short of Kevin Harvick for 10th on the career list. The 44-year-old Virginia driver might hit that mark this season as he chases his first career Cup championship. "Winning here at Dover is super special to me," Hamlin said. "This is a place that I've not been very good at the first half of my career. To go back-to-back here the last two years is amazing." Hamlin took the checkered flag days after he suffered a setback in court with his own 23XI Racing team's federal antitrust suit against NASCAR. On Thursday, a federal judge rejected a request from 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to continue racing with charters while they battle NASCAR in court, meaning their six cars will race as open entries this weekend at Dover, next week at Indianapolis and perhaps longer than that, in a move the teams say would put them at risk of going out of business. Hamlin vowed this weekend "all will be exposed" if the case goes to its scheduled Dec. 1 trial date. The courtroom drama hasn't affected Hamlin's performance on the track. Hamlin held off JGR teammate Chase Briscoe for the victory. Hendrick Motorsports drivers took the next two spots, with Alex Bowman third and Kyle Larson fourth. Hamlin held off Larson down the stretch last season to earn the second of his three career wins at the Monster Mile. The first July Cup race at Dover since 1969 started with steamy weather and drivers battled the conditions inside the car during a relatively clean race until rain fell late and red-flagged the race with 14 laps left. Hamlin said that during the break he planned to change his firesuit — temperatures inside the car soared to 140 degrees. He also returned to the car after the 56-minute delay with old tires. Hamlin had enough to win at Dover and park the Toyota in victory lane. "We've got a lot left," Hamlin said. Up next, it's off to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Larson won last season on the oval after a four-year break on the road course. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Race Rewind: 'Monster Mile' gives overtime battle on the concrete
See the best highlights from Dover Motor Speedway's NASCAR Overtime battle on the concrete and who tamed the 'Monster Mile.'
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Boston Globe
Denny Hamlin survives rain delay, overtime to win fourth NASCAR Cup Series race of season
'Winning here at Dover is super special to me,' Hamlin said. 'This is a place that I've not been very good at the first half of my career. To go back-to-back here the last two years is amazing.' Advertisement Hamlin took the checkered flag days after he suffered a setback in court with his own 23XI Racing team's federal antitrust suit against NASCAR. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up On Thursday, a federal judge rejected a request from 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to continue racing with charters while they battle NASCAR in court, meaning their six cars will race as open entries this weekend at Dover, next week at Indianapolis, and perhaps longer than that in a move the teams say would put them at risk of going out of business. Hamlin vowed this weekend 'all will be exposed' if the case goes to its scheduled Dec. 1 trial date. The courtroom drama hasn't affected Hamlin's performance on the track. Hamlin held off JGR teammate Chase Briscoe for the victory. Hendrick Motorsports drivers took the next two spots, with Alex Bowman third and Kyle Larson fourth. Advertisement 'I thought I did everything I needed to,' Briscoe said. 'I thought I had him there for a second. I wish the Camry, the back, was about 3 inches shorter. I was so close to clearing him. I just couldn't do it. Obviously, racing a teammate, I wanted to make sure at least a JGR car won.' Hamlin held off Larson down the stretch last season to earn the second of his three career wins at the Monster Mile. The first July Cup race at Dover since 1969 started with steamy weather and drivers battled the conditions inside the car during a relatively clean race until rain fell late and red-flagged the race with 14 laps left. Hamlin said during the break he planned to change his firesuit — temperatures inside the car soared to 140 degrees. He also returned to the car after the 56-minute delay with old tires. Hamlin — who was the betting favorite to win, per BETMGM Sportsbook — had enough to win on cool tires at Dover and park the Toyota in victory lane. 'We've got a lot left,' Hamlin said. He became the 19th Cup driver to win three times at Dover and the 13th driver to win consecutive races on the mile concrete track. 'I just studied some of the greats here,' Hamlin said. 'I was very fortunate to have Martin Truex as a teammate. Jimmie Johnson, watching him win (11) times here. You learn from the greats and you change your game to match it, you have success like this.' Advertisement … It's Ty Gibbs vs. Ty Dillon next week at Indianapolis to decide the first winner in NASCAR's $1 million mid-season tournament. NASCAR seeded 32 drivers for the first In-season Challenge, a five-race, bracket-style tournament that mirrors the NCAA basketball tournaments. Both drivers are winless and Dillon made it as the No. 32 seed. Gibbs finished fifth Sunday for JGR. John Hunter Nemechek and Tyler Reddick were eliminated. … Joey Logano finished 14th for Team Penske in his 600th career start. Logano has made every start since the 2009, 597 straight, putting him within striking distance of Jeff Gordon's Cup record of 797 straight starts. Logano was 35 years, 1 month, 26 days old when he hit No. 600, making him the youngest driver to reach that milestone. He topped seven-time NASCAR champion and Hall of Famer Richard Petty by six months. Petty is the only driver to have won his 600th start.
