Richmond, Va. – Potentially there was no better place for Denny Hamlin to at last notch his to start with win of 2022. Considerably to the enjoyment of the fans at Richmond Raceway, the hometown most loved from Chesterfield, Va., took the direct in the Toyota Proprietors 400 from William Byron with five laps remaining and held off the area for a .552-second victory above Kevin Harvick and Byron.
It was amazingly Hamlin’s initially major 10 of the 2022 season, however it marked his fourth NASCAR Cup Sequence victory at the .75-mile keep track of – the pretty position the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota grew up viewing NASCAR as a young supporter.
It is the sixth gain for the JGR Toyota group in the final eight races at the Richmond monitor – 18th in the team’s historical past there. And it is the third consecutive race there that all 4 JGR motorists finished in the best 10.
The victory was also sizeable that the 41-year-previous Hamlin stopped a 12-race victory operate by drivers 30-many years outdated or younger – a mark courting again to final period.
Advert
“Just drove as challenging as I could,” stated Hamlin, a perennial championship contender who had been ranked an uncharacteristic 20th in the standings before the Richmond race.
“So proud of this complete FedEx Camry staff, they just hardly ever gave up.
“There was no doubt in my mind, possibly just a little, but they received this automobile right there towards the conclusion,” Hamlin continued. “Wow this it is just unbelievable.”
“We required a data place, one thing, a very good run to form of harmony ourselves on other tracks. Definitely, I think we got it listed here.”
Byron and his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet group opted to stay out on older tires for the last 90 laps and at a person stage held a solid 5-second direct on the subject. But as the groups opted for fresher tires in the course of a collection of late race environmentally friendly flag pit stops, it turned apparent that Byron would have to actually get the job done for the get – and do so on worn tires.
In the long run, Hamlin, who received new tires with 47 laps to go, was in a position to dice his way as a result of the industry, taking the runner-up spot from his JGR teammate Martin Truex Jr. with 6 laps to go and proceed moving ahead to dive lower and shift into the lead all around Byron with five laps remaining. Also on fresher tires, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver Harvick was ready to go both Byron and Truex to consider his most effective end of the time as very well.
Advertisement
“Really it’s the 1st thoroughly clean day we have experienced all calendar year,” claimed the 2014 series winner Harvick. “The cars have been quickly and we experienced a shot there at the stop just, I needed to be close more than enough at the white [flag] to just consider a swipe at him but the lapped cars received in the way and I dropped a tiny little bit of ground. Still a fantastic working day for us and hopefully a minor little bit of momentum.”
Truex, who has a few wins in the last 5 Richmond races, completed fourth, adopted by reigning NASCAR Cup Series winner, Hendrick Motorsports Kyle Larson.
JRG driver Christopher Bell was sixth, followed by Penske Racing’s Ryan Blaney, the polesitter who led the first 128 laps of the race – most on the working day. Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman recovered from a pit road penalty to end eighth. Kyle Busch recovered from a late race penalty as properly, to claim ninth place and Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon was 10th.
Advertisement
Blaney (initially) and Truex (second) every gained a phase and are the only 3-time phase winners so considerably this year.
Blaney and Elliott are now tied for the NASCAR Cup Sequence championship guide with a 19-stage advantage on third position Truex.
Hamlin’s acquire capped a victorious weekend for Toyota at Richmond Raceway, which began with a victory on Saturday in the ToyotaCare 250 NASCAR Xfinity Collection race with Ty Gibbs, grandson of Mentor Joe Gibbs, and concluding with Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Collection race (Denny Hamlin).
The NASCAR Cup Sequence will continue to be in the Commonwealth of Virginia on the half-mile Martinsville Speedway in up coming Saturday night’s Blue-Emu Highest Agony Reduction 400 (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Truex is the defending spring Martinsville grandfather clock winner.
Copyright 2022 by WSLS 10 – All rights reserved.