CONCORD, North Carolina -- Of the 37 cars that started the 63rd running of the Coca-Cola 600, the vast majority of them ended up either torn up, chewed up, spun out or turned over -- which included Denny Hamlin. And in spite of all that, it was Hamlin who took home arguably the most difficult edition of NASCAR's longest race ever seen.
After taking four fresh tires on his final pit stop heading into overtime, Denny Hamlin emerged from a four-wide battle for the lead on the first restart, then held off a charge from Kyle Busch in double overtime to win the Coca-Cola 600 for the first time in his career. With his win, Hamlin became the 12th driver in NASCAR history to win all three of the sport's majors -- the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 600, and the Southern 500 -- and he did so in what was the longest race in NASCAR history at 413 laps and 619.5 miles.
Towards the end of 600 miles, the finish was shaping up to be a race between Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe, as Briscoe ran down Larson and made several attempts to pass Larson on the inside line. With two laps to go, Briscoe attempted to put a slidejob on Larson in Turn 1, but the move didn't stick and Briscoe ended up spinning out to bring out the yellow flag.
The ensuing caution resulted in two split strategies: Larson, Ross Chastain, Joey Logano, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. all took two tires, while everyone else from Denny Hamlin on back put on four. The result was enormous an entire swarm of cars charging to the front at the restart. And coming off Turn 4 coming to the white flag, Larson, Chastain, Hamlin, and Austin Dillon were all four-wide for the race lead before Larson hooked Dillon into the outside wall, triggering a multi-car crash that set up double overtime.
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After coming out on the other side of the four-wide scrum, Hamlin was able to fend off Kyle Busch on the final restart to take the win.
After offseason testing at Charlotte saw drivers right on the edge of control in the Next Gen car, there was an expectation that this year's Coca-Cola 600 may feature a higher level of both on-track action and attrition as a consequence. Those expectations ended up being realized in a race as difficult on drivers and equipment as it was exciting for the sellout crowd that came to witness it.
The yellow flag flew 18 times, with several major incidents mixed in-between self-spins and other issues. Drivers like Kyle Busch, Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott and Larson all spun out of spots at the front of the field. A dozen cars -- including the eventual winner Hamlin -- ended up piled up in Turn 2 on a restart.
But the most dramatic crash came with just over 50 laps to go, when Daniel Suarez spun sideways in front of traffic and collected the oncoming cars of Todd Gilliland and Chris Buescher. As Buescher's car spun through the infield turf, it ended up getting launched into the air and rolled over five times before coming to rest on the roof. Buescher climbed out of his car and was uninjured.
Here is a look at the accident midway through the final stage at @CLTMotorSpdwy. pic.twitter.com/msDdFeeoJ9
In the end, this year's Coca-Cola 600 took five hours, eight minutes, and 16 seconds to complete. It was the first time the race took more than five hours to complete since 2005, when the race was slowed by a Cup Series record 22 cautions.
If there was any driver who had to go through an odyssey to reach the finish, it was Kyle Larson. Larson had to start 36th after hitting the wall in practice and not posting a qualifying lap, and he marched through the field before a myriad of troubles. Two pit road penalties, a pit road fire, wall contact, a spin off Turn 4, and a partridge in a pear tree.
At one point before the race reached the halfway point, Larson quipped over his team radio that he was having "the worst race of my life". Shortly after that, crew chief Cliff Daniels rallied his driver with a rousing motivational speech.
"We've ????????? caught on fire." @DanielsCliff out here pumping his driver and crew up! ? pic.twitter.com/DcBHV1AGh5
"We went from the back to the front more times than I can count. We hit the wall, we spun out, we literally caught on fire. We were also the most penalized team on pit road in the first half," Daniels said. "All that means is that in the second half, already we're gonna be starting way better than what we started the first half.
"We've got to go execute right now. I don't really know what the hell you're worried about, but I'm fine, the team's fine, everybody down here is nodding their heads and giving a thumbs up. So let's go."
Apparently, that verbal kick in the pants was just what Larson needed. He ended up leading three times for 51 laps, including many of the final laps before the end of regulation. Then, Larson had to recover from spinning in the final big crash for good measure before coming home with a top 10 finish in ninth.
The NASCAR Cup Series will meet everyone in St. Louis, as they head to World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway for the track's very first Cup Series race, the Enjoy Illinois 300 on Sunday, June 5.
Denny Hamlin clears Kyle Busch in Turn 2. Busch makes one last charge on the outside of Turns 3 and 4 but he can't get back there in time! Denny Hamlin wins his first Coca-Cola 60 and gets his second win of 2022!
1 - #11 - Denny Hamlin 2 - #18 - Kyle Busch 3 - #4 - Kevin Harvick 4 - #14 - Chase Briscoe 5 - #20 - Christopher Bell 6 - #8 - Tyler Reddick 7 - #47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 8 - #34 - Michael McDowell 9 - #5 - Kyle Larson 10 - #48 - Alex Bowman
.@ChaseBriscoe_14 spun battling for the lead on Lap 398. He fought back to finish fourth. ? pic.twitter.com/768NnkNM1n
? @CocaColaRacing's Denny Hamlin wins his first career #CocaCola600! pic.twitter.com/hV0sh7qX4r
Winning feels so, so good. pic.twitter.com/S4DFQMbJX3
PUMPED. UP. Retweet to congratulate @dennyhamlin on capturing his first #CocaCola600 crown! pic.twitter.com/0tlunRZSta
THE COCA-COLA 600 COMES DOWN TO THE FINAL LAP! @dennyhamlin beats @KyleBusch to the line! pic.twitter.com/vFQpUfI9SD
Retweet to congratulate Denny Hamlin on his Coca-Cola 600 win! pic.twitter.com/hfOBVPdv1r
CHECKERED FLAG: DENNY DOES IT!!! @dennyhamlin wins the #CocaCola600!!! pic.twitter.com/7b5fsihSqg
Here we go for double overtime in the Coke 600. Chastain can get going momentarily but back he goes with his damage.
Kyle Busch to the outside of HamliN! Here comes Harvick and Stenhouse! They're side-by-side coming to the white flag!
Everything changed ... just like that. pic.twitter.com/Y7Xsztc0CS
Chastain is going to stay out despite his front end damage and start from the outside of the front row. That's exactly what Denny Hamlin wants to see and not what Kevin Harvick lined up behind Chastain wants.
how are we feeling right now?!?!
? ? ? ... This race is wild https://t.co/E8CRwkytrD pic.twitter.com/4v1WrO5s66
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Ross Chastain continues to run on-track in second, but he has major front end damage. Martin Truex Jr. also has major door damage.
Once Chastain peels off, the Top 10 should be Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Harvick, Stenhouse, McDowell, Burton, Ty Dillon, Briscoe, Jones, and Almirola.
FOUR WIDE ... BIG CRASH ... We'll line 'em up again!#CocaCola600 | #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/aMUhuq0Khg
THEY WERE FOUR-WIDE FOR THE RACE LEAD COMING TO THE WHITE FLAG.
Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, and Ross Chastain were four-wide for the lead and it ended with Dillon getting turned into the outside wall to trigger another big pileup. Dillon, Larson, Chastain, Cole Custer all taken out.
We are now headed to double overtime.
Remember this? https://t.co/I4dkSaj2EM
Just great racing from these two. pic.twitter.com/8F2iQOO5OZ
Larson takes the inside for the restart, Chastain outside. Then it's Logano, Stenhouse, Hamlin, Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch, Cole Custer, Kevin Harvick, and Ty Dillon.
Green-white-checkered to decide the Coca-Cola 600.
Looks like all the leaders are coming to pit road.
Right side tires only for Kyle Larson, Chastain, Logano, and Stenhouse. Denny Hamlin is the first car on four tires. Larson just barely beat Chastain off pit road.
Wow. Just wow. pic.twitter.com/adIGOh7ffq
Around goes Chase Briscoe! NASCAR OVERTIME. https://t.co/qap7gXvK8w pic.twitter.com/NzW9MA66Cd
As if 600 miles wasn't enough -- We are going to Overtime.
Decision time for the leaders. It's been a long run and everyone would theoretically need tires, but does someone throw a Hail Mary and go for two tires or stay out?
Briscoe tries the slidejob again and it DOESN'T WORK! AROUND GOES BRISCOE AND THE CAUTION IS OUT!
Briscoe is back to Larson's bumper. Two to go.
Chase Briscoe tries to clear Larson with the slidejob but he can't do it! Larson holds onto the lead! Three laps to go!
SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH FOUR TO GO!!!
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