Denny Hamlin wins his 52nd NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol

Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin has won back-to-back races at Bristol Motor Speedway to virtually seal his playoffs spot for the 2024 campaign.

Hamlin, who started the season on a high note with a win in the Busch Light Clash race at LA Memorial Coliseum, has added yet another memorable victory to his name, making a case for his first championship pursuit in the ongoing season.

By winning the Food City 500 race, Denny Hamlin secured his second straight win at concrete at Bristol Motor Speedway, after last winning at the surface in September.

Hamlin led a race-high 163 laps to finish first ahead of teammate and former Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. Driver, and team owner Brad Keselowski finished third ahead of the Hendrick Motorsports duo of Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson at fourth and fifth respectively. 21-year-old JGR driver Ty Gibbs won both stages in the race.

Denny Hamlin has become the first driver to win at the concrete surface in Bristol's spring race since Keselowski in 2020. He engaged in a fierce battle with Truex in the closing laps amidst heavy lapped traffic. Despite that, Hamlin maintained his composure, ultimately securing the win with a margin of 1.083 seconds.

The Bristol race unfolded as a test of tire management, with drivers tasked with conserving their Goodyear rubber throughout the demanding race. Tire wear emerged as a critical factor, contributing to a Bristol record of 42 lead changes among 16 different drivers, adding an extra layer of complexity to the competition.

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Full results of the NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 race as Denny Hamlin wins in Bristol

Legacy Motor Club's newly-signed John Hunter Nemechek finished sixth, ahead of Chris Buescher, Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin's teammates Ty Gibbs and Christopher Bell in top 10. Pole-starter defending champion Ryan Blaney had to settle for a 16th-place finish.

1. Denny Hamlin (#11)

2. Martin Truex Jr. (#19)

3. Brad Keselowski (#6)

4. Alex Bowman (#48)

5. Kyle Larson (#5)

6. John Hunter Nemechek (#42)

7. Chris Buescher (#17)

8. Chase Elliott (#9)

9. Ty Gibbs (#54)

10. Christopher Bell (#20)

11. Michael McDowell (#34)

12. Josh Berry (#4)

13. Chase Briscoe (#14)

14. Ryan Preece (#41)

15. Ross Chastain (#1)

16. Ryan Blaney (#12)

17. Justin Haley (#51)

18. Daniel Suárez (#99)

19. Kaz Grala (#15)

20. Erik Jones (#43)

21. Corey LaJoie (#7)

22. Joey Logano (#22)

23. AJ Allmendinger (#16)

24. Austin Dillon (#3)

25. Kyle Busch (#8)

26. Todd Gilliland (#38)

27. Carson Hocevar (#77)

28. Daniel Hemric (#31)

29. Bubba Wallace (#23)

30. Tyler Reddick (#45)

31. Austin Cindric (#2)

32. Harrison Burton (#21)

33. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (#47)

34. Noah Gragson (#10)

35. William Byron (#24)

36. Zane Smith (71)