The final results after the Bristol race appear to be Denny Hamlin =1, and Goodyear tires = 0. The much-awaited concrete Bristol race was nothing less than the perfect execution of strategy and holding on to one’s horses. However, after a fierce 500 laps of attrition and endless on-track shenanigans, it was the newfound villain of NASCAR, Denny Hamlin who emerged victorious and defended his title from last year’s playoff race.

It was not just Denny Hamlin who can claim to have a conducive day at Bristol, but also his compatriot from Hendrick Motorsports, Kyle Larson. For the speedster of Hendrick Motorsports, it was a battle lost and won, as he claimed another top-five finish after being slapped with a penalty. However, it is apparent that the #5 Chevrolet driver is far from being elated with the results of the race, as he was compelled to bite the dust in front of his friend Denny Hamlin.

Kyle Larson spills the beans behind his Bristol heartbreak

It was an absolute chaos of a race, that ensued in the World’s Fastest Half-Mile track, and perhaps it had one offender to be blamed: The Goodyear tires. The massive tire wear-off on the track was absolutely inconceivable by the drivers and their teams which threw a wrench in their existing game plan. The extreme wear-off was evident from the first lap of the race itself. As a result, the drivers struggled to find the pace to conserve tires.

Despite these on-track struggles, few racers were able to master their run on the track and gain an advantage. And one of them was HMS driver Kyle Larson. While luck played out for the Toyota team, fate intervened for the #5 HMS driver after he was slapped with a penalty after equipment interference in Lap 368 that relegated the driver to the rear of the track. However, his persuasiveness allowed him to finish in fifth place. Expressing his heartbreak to the media, Larson stated, “I don’t think it would have been different at the race because you don’t wanna be the first to wear out the tire. So trying to make the tire live longer than everybody else.”

Speaking of the tires, the HMS driver also added, “So we had 10 extra sets of tires, I don’t think it would look any different. Maybe at the end of the second stage, it will look different, but that’s about it. Just wild that I never took rubber.” When asked about Hamlin’s performance and whether he would have been able to outrun the #11 Toyota, Larson retorted, “I doubt it, Denny I think put together a really good run there, like when everybody was struggling with because they were all down toward and like hitting, he just had a good time. I think he would have been really hard to beat but maybe if I didn’t have the penalty, maybe I finish a couple of spots better. Maybe I finished a handful of spots worse too, so you don’t really know how it plays out. I will be happy with the fifth that we had with the penalty.”

Denny Hamlin’s victory in the concrete Bristol race, marked his fourth victory on the iconic track after he fended off the threat of his teammate Martin Truex Jr as well.

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Denny Hamlin is all over the moon after his clinical victory in Bristol

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Evidently, a majority of the drivers struggled on the track as they focused on tire management. However, on the contrary, Denny Hamlin seemed to surge ahead as the race neared its completion. He battled with lapped traffic which finally concluded with his 52nd victory. The driver held off a strong challenge from his JGR teammate Martin Truex Jr as the duo raced for a lead during the final 50 laps. With just four laps left, the #19 driver seemed like he had a solid chance to outrun Hamlin. However, a passing Justin Haley proved to be an obstacle as Truex Jr failed to snatch the lead.

Speaking to the FOX journalist after his burnout and commending Martin Truex Jr for his solid run, Hamlin expressed, “Once it became a tire management race, I really liked our chances, but obviously, the veteran in Martin, he knew how to do it as well.

 The driver also appreciated the team work that the #11 squad put in. He shared, “And so, we just had a great car, great team. The pit crew just did a phenomenal job all day, can’t say enough about them.” 

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With the much-anticipated race of the season coming to a conclusion, NASCAR has already made preparations for the first road-course race of the season. It will be interesting to see what new theatrics await for the fans in the upcoming race weekend.