Denny Hamlin survives rain delay, overtime finish to win for 2nd straight year at Dover

DOVER, Del. (AP) – 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 Kyle 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 the 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.

It’s off to Indianapolis Motor Speedway where Kyle Larson won last season on the oval after a four-year break on the road course.