Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney reflected on Denny Hamlin's recent Busch Light Clash victory at a press conference following the race.
Denny Hamlin's 2024 was off to a blistering start as the 43-year-old raced to victory in the Busch Light Clash at LA Memorial Coliseum. After starting from pole, the NASCAR veteran had lost his lead to teammate Ty Gibbs. The latter, at one point, was seemingly cruising towards victory while Hamlin struggled to make his way back to the top.
However, a late restart in the race with 10 laps to go presented an opportunity for Hamlin to get the better of Ty Gibbs. With a strategic move, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver surged past Gibbs on the restart to reclaim his position, ultimately driving home to victory.
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In the post-race press conference, Ryan Blaney shared his perspective on Hamlin's crucial restart. Blaney, driving the Team Penske Racing No. 12 Ford, acknowledged that Hamlin executed a jump start but emphasized that the margin was minimal. He stated (via Frontstretch):
"Yeah, by a few feet. Obviously he kicked my ass on the restart so I’m going to say he jumped, but I thought it was a few feet early. It didn’t make a difference."
Ty Gibbs, on the other hand, was involved in an incident with Joey Logano. A pivotal contact later, the 21-year-old found himself crossing the finish line at 18th position.
Ryan Blaney reflects on late restart as Denny Hamlin wins 4th Busch Light of his career
Ryan Blaney reflected on the late restart, admitting that even with a better start, he probably wouldn't have clinched the victory. He added at the same press conference:
"I got a terrible restart on the last one. Probably wouldn’t have won anyway, but came from a long way back, so it was fun. I think every time I’ve been I’ve been spun backwards about two or three times, so it’s not nice to have that one at the last one, so it’s good."
Blaney finished the race in third position behind Hamlin and Kyle Busch. The victory was Denny Hamlin's fourth of his career, making him the driver with the second-most wins at the event behind Dale Earnhardt.
Both Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin enter the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series campaign as favorites for the championship. Blaney heads into the season as the defending champion. Hamlin, meanwhile, missed out on the championship once again as the quest for his first title continues.
