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Autosport

Hamlin holds off Busch to win NASCAR's LA Clash

Hamlin, who earned pole for the non-points exhibition race earlier on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, fell back into the field during the race but rallied to the front with 10 laps remaining.

He then held off Kyle Busch in a two-lap overtime contest as those behind Hamlin bumped and banged off each other battling for position.

“A lot of it was what happened in front of me with (Ty Gibbs) and (Joey Logano). You just never know what was going to happen there,” Hamlin said.

“But I got a really good run off of Turn 2 and got position and was able to hang on from there.

“It’s so chaotic with the restarts with everyone just bumping and banging but it feels good to win here in L.A.”

Hamlin called the win a “big momentum boost.”

“It doesn’t do much more than that,” he said. “I clean off all the trophies every 1 January and now we get to add one pretty quick.”

As the crowd on hand started showering Hamlin with boos, he retorted, “You know I beat your favorite driver again, right?”

The win was an impromptu one for Hamlin as Saturday night’s race was originally scheduled for Sunday, but impending severe weather that could last several days prompted NASCAR to attempt to run the event a day early.

A multiple-day delay, combined with dangerous flooding conditions predicted for the area, would likely have caused NASCAR to eventually cancel the race.

Reigning Cup champion Ryan Blaney, who started last in the 23-car field, ended up third, Joey Logano was fourth and Kyle Larson rounded out the top-five.

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing (Photo by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Images)

The last restart was set up after Ty Gibbs lost the lead on the previous restart to Hamlin and got spun around in Turn 4 with just one of the originally scheduled laps remaining to send the race into overtime.

Logano started the second segment in the lead and had to work hard to fend off repeated challenges for the lead from Larson and Gibbs in the opening laps.

Gibbs eventually powered out to the lead on a restart on lap 78 while Logano and Larson battled for second.

With 50 laps remaining, Gibbs had moved out to a more than 2.5-second advantage over Logano as Busch had moved into third.

Hamlin, who led the race early but dropped back to seventh at one point, moved into third and back into contention with 30 laps to go.

Following contact with Ross Chastain, Michael McDowell spun around in Turn 3 on lap 139 to bring out a caution and set up a restart with 10 laps to go.

Hamlin nudged past Gibbs on the restart to reclaim the lead but also appeared to develop a tire rub on his #11 Toyota as he tried to make it to the finish.

Logano had held off Larson in a one-lap dash to the conclusion of the first 75-lap segment. The one-lap restart was set up by a caution for John Hunter Nemechek just before the halfway break.

Gibbs was third, Byron fourth and Busch rounded out the top-five.

Hamlin and Logano swapped the lead in the first few laps before Hamlin moved out and took control of the race.

Todd Gilliland spun around right on lap 69 and hit the Turn 1 wall to bring out the first caution of the race.

NASCAR Cup Clash - results

 
 
       
Driver Info
 
 
 
   
Cla Driver # Manufacturer Laps Time Interval Pits Points Retirement
1 United States D. Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing 11   151

36'41.906

       
2 United States K. Busch Richard Childress Racing 8   151

+0.610

36'42.516

0.610      
3 United States R. Blaney Team Penske 12   151

+0.883

36'42.789

0.273      
4 United States J. Logano Team Penske 22   151

+1.213

36'43.119

0.330      
5 United States K. Larson Hendrick Motorsports 5   151

+2.703

36'44.609

1.490      
6 United States A. Bowman Hendrick Motorsports 48   151

+2.984

36'44.890

0.281      
7 United States C. Briscoe Stewart-Haas Racing 14   151

+3.491

36'45.397

0.507      
8 United States B. Keselowski RFK Racing 6   151

+3.907

36'45.813

0.416      
9 United States M. Truex Jr. Joe Gibbs Racing 19   151

+4.212

36'46.118

0.305      
10 United States W. Byron Hendrick Motorsports 24   151

+4.232

36'46.138

0.020      
11 United States R. Preece Stewart-Haas Racing 41   151

+5.338

36'47.244

1.106      
12 United States B. Wallace 23XI Racing 23   150

+1 Lap

36'29.245

1 Lap      
13 United States J. Nemechek Legacy Motor Club 42   150

+1 Lap

36'46.638

17.393      
14 United States T. Reddick 23XI Racing 45   150

+1 Lap

36'47.243

0.605      
15 United States R. Chastain TrackHouse Racing 1   150

+1 Lap

36'47.491

0.248      
16 United States R. Stenhouse Jr. JTG Daugherty Racing 47   150

+1 Lap

36'48.461

0.970      
17 United States C. Lajoie Spire Motorsports 7   150

+1 Lap

36'49.011

0.550      
18
T. Gibbs Joe Gibbs Racing
54   150

+1 Lap

36'49.680

0.669      
19 United States M. McDowell Front Row Motorsports 34   149

+2 Laps

36'47.911

1 Lap      
20 United States N. Gragson Stewart-Haas Racing 10   147

+4 Laps

36'51.813

2 Laps      
21 United States J. Haley Rick Ware Racing 51   135

+16 Laps

32'31.318

12 Laps     Engine
22 United States C. Elliott Hendrick Motorsports 9   77

+74 Laps

18'49.037

58 Laps     Steering
23 United States T. Gilliland Front Row Motorsports 38   68

+83 Laps

16'04.467

9 Laps     Brakes

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