Denny Hamlin sends a message to the No.11 team after a stunning turnaround sealed his sixth Darlington win

Denny Hamlin stunned fans at Darlington Raceway with a dramatic overtime win that sealed his sixth career victory at the track. The comeback was made possible by a clutch pit stop from the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team and a clean restart in the closing laps.

In a media availability after the race, shared by Speedway Digest, the veteran driver credited his team for the win, calling it a “great team victory.” Despite not having the fastest car, Hamlin admitted the difference was made on pit road.

“Our pit crew won it,” Hamlin said post-race.

“It comes down to these crunch time situations. I had to do my job on pit road executing, but I have to thank Sport Clips, TRD, Progressive... My kids, my family, my fiancé. I mean, what a great day!” he added.

Sunday’s win was Denny Hamlin’s 56th career win in the NASCAR Cup Series. That puts him 11th on the all-time wins list. It was also his second straight win of the 2025 season, following Martinsville. With this result, Hamlin ties for fourth in all-time Darlington wins.

Hamlin didn’t lead the most laps—that honor went to William Byron, who led 243—but he was in the right place at the right time. A race-flipping yellow opened the door, and the No. 11 team capitalized with perfect execution. Hamlin came off pit road strong, survived the overtime restart, and crossed the finish line ahead of William Byron and Christopher Bell. According to Hamlin, this wasn’t a dominant win. Hamlin himself admitted,

“I thought third place (was) kind of what we had.”

The win pushes Denny Hamlin to second in the overall driver standings with 266 points. He now has 2 wins, 4 top-5s, and 5 top-10s in 8 starts this season. Hamlin has led 308 laps this year and is averaging a 10.625 finish per race.

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Jordan’s business pull is helping 23XI Racing grow in NASCAR, Denny Hamlin comments

During the Darlington weekend, Denny Hamlin spoke about how Michael Jordan’s fame has become a valuable asset for 23XI Racing. The team, which Hamlin co-owns with the NBA legend, has been attracting sponsors with strong links to Jordan’s legacy and reputation in sports. Speaking to Speedway Digest, Hamlin explained that Jordan’s presence brings immediate attention.

“I think that certainly Michael’s brand and things like that attracts a lot of different companies to be associated with,” Hamlin said.

While the latest sponsor, Robinhood, wasn’t directly brought in by Jordan, the association helped everything fall into place.

“That was more of an agency thing, so all came together really nicely,” he added.

Robinhood has ties in the NBA, sponsoring teams like the Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, and Washington Wizards. Now, they are moving into NASCAR, backing Bubba Wallace and development driver Corey Heim for select races this season. Heim is set to debut the brand’s neon livery on his No. 67 Toyota Camry at Kansas Speedway on May 11.