NASCAR’s season-opening Daytona 500, arguably America’s biggest, boldest and brightest motor race, provides a nail-biting final few laps as field of V8 stockcars jostles for position in the run to the flag.
Leading the way into the final lap is Matt Kenseth in the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry. But keep an eye on the sister car (#11) of Denny Hamlin, who’s on a charge. This was the 35-year-old’s 11th start in the 500 and he was out to make it count.
He runs high on the famous Florida banking and finds himself blocked by team-mate Kenseth. Dipping low to pass the yellow machine, Hamlin squeezes between Kenseth, who has a bit of a wobble and drops back into the pack, and the third Toyota in the mix, the Barney Visser-run Camry of Martin Truex Jr.
Hamlin and Truex are as one as they head up to the line, but the verdict goes to 27-time Sprint Cup race winner Hamlin, by 0.010s – the closest finish in the 57-year history of the race.
Quite a way to kick off the 36-race NASCAR Sprint Cup season, we thought!
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