Denny Hamlin advances in NASCAR playoffs at Gateway

MADISON, Ill. — Nothing appears to distract Denny Hamlin, and the NASCAR star proved it once more with a laser-focused victory at World Wide Technology Raceway on Sunday to advance within the Cup Series playoffs.

After per week through which his father was ailing and his 23XI Racing workforce misplaced a choice in its court docket battle with NASCAR, Hamlin compartmentalized his issues and stayed on process for a just about flawless weekend — ranging from the pole place and main a race-high 75 of 240 laps.

“I just step up,” Hamlin stated after his series-high fifth victory this season. “All I can do is just keep being a student of the game, keep trying to get better, and every week is a chance to get a little better.”

With his 59th profession win, Hamlin superior to the second spherical of the playoffs and joined Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe, who completed second after successful final week’s opener at Darlington Raceway. Chase Elliott completed third, adopted by Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano as playoff drivers swept the highest 5 spots on the 1.25-mile oval.

The No. 11 Toyota workforce known as Hamlin to the pits for his closing cease with 44 laps remaining, and he cycled to the entrance on a warning 15 laps later. The Virginia native seized the lead from Brad Keselowski on the restart, delivering the two hundredth win in NASCAR’s premier sequence for Toyota.

The Joe Gibbs Racing star celebrated with an extended burnout down the entrance stretch of the monitor outdoors St. Louis that’s generally known as Gateway, bringing boos raining down from a sellout crowd to Hamlin’s delight.

“You all can boo me, but you can either get on the bandwagon or get run over by it,” he stated. “I want all the noise and all the heat.”

Relishing life as a NASCAR villain is considered one of many roles being crammed by the multitasking Hamlin, who additionally co-hosts a podcast whereas operating 23XI Racing, the three-car workforce that he co-owns with NBA legend Michael Jordan.

It’s had little affect on the on-track efficiency for Hamlin, who’s in his twentieth Cup season driving for workforce proprietor Joe Gibbs. At Gateway, he turned the seventh driver in NASCAR historical past with a number of victories after his 700th begin.

Team proprietor Joe Gibbs marvels at how Hamlin, who turns 45 in November and welcomed his third youngster in June, is ready to juggle a lot.

“He’s in one meeting after another,” Gibbs stated with amusing. “The more stuff he does, the better off he is. He’s got a real drive to succeed.”

The final prize can be a primary Cup championship, and Hamlin took one other step towards that objective by locking into the following spherical forward of the Sept. 13 race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The first-round cutoff race will trim the playoff discipline from 16 to 12 drivers.

After Gateway, Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman and Josh Berry are outdoors the highest 12.

After a Twelfth-place end at Gateway, Kyle Larson can clinch a spot within the subsequent spherical by merely beginning at Bristol. Bubba Wallace, who completed eighth after main 73 of 240 laps and successful the second stage, is also in a robust place to advance.

Berry will want a win at Bristol to advance to the following spherical after opening his Cup playoff debut with consecutive last-place finishes. The Wood Brothers Racing driver was tapped within the left rear by Elliott, sending Berry’s No. 21 Ford spinning into the Turn 2 wall on the thirty sixth lap.

“Chase and that team have done a lot for me, and I really doubt that was on purpose,” stated Berry, who crashed on the primary lap of the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway. “Just wrong place, wrong time for us again. Obviously, it’s unfortunate. We’ll just go to Bristol and try to do the best we can and put ourselves in position to race for a win, and that’s really all we can do at this point.”

Elliott apologized for the incident after the race.

“I had no intention of getting into him,” Elliott stated. “I’ve known those guys my whole life, so I just hope that they know it wasn’t anything intentional. I felt terrible about it right when it happened, and I wish I could take it back.”

Earlier on Sunday, NASCAR introduced the dying of Bill Davis, whose groups received 40 races within the Cup, Xfinity and Truck sequence from 1993-2008. Davis had all 5 of his Cup victories with driver Ward Burton, together with the 2001 Southern 500 and 2002 Daytona 500. The Arkansas native, who was 74, additionally fielded automobiles for Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte earlier than they received Cup championships with different groups.

“A championship-winning leader and owner, Bill Davis made a lasting mark on our sport through his passion and unwavering belief in the people around him,” NASCAR stated in an announcement. “Bill was more than a competitor — he was a friend to all in the garage, respected for his kindness, generosity, and genuine love for racing.”