Hamlin logra cuarta victoria de 2025 en Dover

Denny Hamlin won the EchoPark AutoTrader 400 at Dover Motor Speedway this Sunday, surviving two overtime restarts and a 56-minute rain delay to secure his 58th career victory in the NASCAR Cup Series.

The driver of the #11 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing led the final 67 laps after inheriting the lead during a pit stop cycle. His teammate Chase Briscoe, with fresher tires, pressured him until the end but couldn't complete the pass, finishing second by 0.310 seconds.

"Things were going pretty well before the rain, and then obviously I had to hold on through some restarts," said Hamlin, 44. "It was tough—those guys fought me hard, no doubt about it. Winning here at Dover is super special for me. This is a place where I wasn't very good in the first half of my career, and now to have back-to-back wins here in recent years is incredible."

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The final battle between the two JGR Toyotas included slight contact on the white-flag lap before Hamlin managed to pull away. For Hamlin, this marks his first win since the birth of his son Jameson last month and makes him just the 13th driver in Dover history to score consecutive wins.

Elliott Misses Opportunity but Gains Ground

Chase Elliott led most of the race with 238 laps out front, including his first stage win of the season. A pit strategy call took him out of the lead when he pitted under yellow with 60 laps remaining, allowing Hamlin to cycle to the front.

Elliott finished sixth, but the crash of his teammate William Byron two laps before the scheduled finish allowed him to take the championship lead for the first time in 2025. He now holds a 17-point advantage over Byron with five races remaining in the regular season.

Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports finished third and fourth, with Ty Gibbs of JGR rounding out the top five. Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Chris Buescher, and Brad Keselowski completed the top 10.

"I thought I did everything I needed to and felt like I had it there for a second," Briscoe said about the final battle. "I was so close to passing him and just couldn't get it done. Obviously, racing against a teammate, I wanted to make sure at least one JGR car won. Honestly, it was a great day. We probably weren't a second-place car—more like fifth to tenth."

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In-Season Challenge Finalists Set

The race also determined the field for next week's In-Season Challenge finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with $1 million on the line. Ty Gibbs advanced by beating Tyler Reddick in their head-to-head matchup, while Ty Dillon defeated John Hunter Nemechek in the other bracket.

Gibbs passed Reddick in the closing laps to secure his spot. Dillon, seeded 32nd among the 32 eligible drivers, benefited from a free pass under caution to finish 20th, just ahead of Nemechek.

"Super cool today—really appreciate my team," Gibbs said with a smile.

Dillon, driver of the #10 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing, added: "All respect to John Hunter, we raced side by side all day. Just really thankful for this opportunity—this is one of the best things that's happened in my career."

Playoff Battle Sees Little Change

In the fight for the final Playoff spots, Wallace holds the 16th and last transfer position with a 16-point lead over Ryan Preece after finishing seventh. Kyle Busch, who finished 11th, now trails Wallace by 39 points.

The race featured 13 lead changes among 10 different drivers over 407 laps. Christopher Bell led 67 laps, matching Hamlin for most laps led. There were eight caution periods for 50 total laps, with an average speed of 110.849 mph in 3 hours, 40 minutes, and 18 seconds.

Elliott won Stage 1 over Bell, while Bell took Stage 2 over Larson. Carson Hocevar, Daniel Suárez, Wallace, and Noah Gragson also led laps during different pit cycles.

The NASCAR Cup Series continues next Sunday at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400, where Larson will defend his 2024 victory.

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Results - Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400

Dover Motor Speedway - Dover, Delaware
Sunday, July 20, 2025