Denny Hamlin wasn’t joking when he said that his next goal was to reach 60 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series. The Joe Gibbs Racing star won in Dover on Sunday to mark his 54th victory in the top tier and is now tied with Lee Petty for 12th on the all-time win list. Raking up wins at such a blistering pace, could Hamlin manage to threaten the boundaries of 2X Cup Series champion Kyle Busch?
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Busch currently has 63 wins in the show and is actively hunting more. He had a solid race in Dover and finished in 4th place. One factor that Rowdy might have to be worried about as things stand is his poor form. He has struggled to find top-5 finishes in the #8 Richard Childress Racing Chevy this season and stands 11th on the points table.
While a victory could be lurking in the corner for Busch, Hamlin has been making good use of this time to gain significant advantage. The Dover win was his 3rd of the season and he is now 4th on the points table. Next up on the championship-less champion’s kill list is the 55-win record of Rusty Wallace. Once he gets there, it will only be the retired Kevin Harvick (60 wins) separating him from Busch.
Denny Hamlin’s dominant victory in Dover that put him alongside Lee Petty
The Joe Gibbs star led a race-high 136 of 400 laps on Sunday to grab his 54th Cup Series victory. A major part of the credit went to his #11 pit crew that gave him all the edge that he needed to stay ahead of Hendrick Motorsports star Kyle Larson who posed a huge threat. Reaching the victory lane, Hamlin did not forget to honor the team with his words.
He said of the performance at the pit wall, “Just a great team. They did a great job. All the guys on the wall right here, they made it happen. Thank you to them and to [crew chief] Chris Gabehart. The whole team just gave me a great car.” The difference between Hamlin and Larson when they crossed the checkered flag was a mere 0.256 seconds. Safe to say, the pit crew won him the race.
Next up on the schedule for the #11 team as they approach the towers of Rusty Wallace is the Kansas Speedway. In just his last 10 appearances at the track, Hamlin has 7 top-5 finishes that include 3 wins. It wouldn’t be far-reaching to bet that Wallace will find himself a companion on the elite 55-win mark as soon as next Sunday.
