Denny Hamlin battled for the lead with Martin Truex Jr. over the final 50 laps of the Food City 500, ultimately leading the No. 11 car to Victory Lane at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday.
Truex took the lead late in the race, but Hamlin regained the lead when the two raced around the track. Truex was closing in on Hamlin in last place with about four laps remaining. However, Truex got stuck trying to get past Justin Haley and was unable to regain his pace.
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The No. 11 Express Oil Change Toyota waves to fans during driver introductions before the NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 17, 2024 in Bristol, Tennessee. Driver Denny Hamlin. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
It was Hamlin’s first win since last season’s Bristol Night Race. He has won at Bristol four times. This is Hamlin’s 52nd career win.
Fan reaction to Hamlin’s win was a little mixed. Hamlin doesn’t really hear a ton of cheers, as evidenced by his “I just beat your favorite driver” speech over the summer.
At Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee, tire management was a must for drivers. Several cautions occurred in his first two stages, forcing some drivers to change tires. Many races experienced extreme tire wear, and NASCAR allowed teams to carry additional sets during races.
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Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 19 Auto Owners Insurance Toyota, and the No. 23 car race during the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 17, 2024 in Bristol, Tennessee. Bubba Wallace, driver of Leidos Toyota. (Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
“When it came to the tire management race, I really liked our chances, but obviously being a Martin veteran, he knew how to do it too. And we had a great car and a great team. I did it,” Hamlin told FOX’s Regan. Smith after the race. “The pit crew did a great job all day. I can’t say enough about them.”
Hamlin and Truex pitted with 50 laps remaining to put new tires on their cars. This allowed the pair to start dealing with tire wear with enough of a gap between the drivers competing for third, fourth and fifth place, barring any cautions in between.
Truex then passed Hamlin with 17 remaining as the leaders dealt with lap traffic. Hamlin regained the lead a few laps later. During a burnout, Hamlin flattened what was left of his last set of tires.
Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson, John Hunter Nemechek, Chris Buescher, Chase Elliott, Ty Gibbs and Christoper Bell rounded out the top 10.
Ty Gibbs, driver of the No. 54 SiriusXM Toyota, and Kyle Larson, driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, race during the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 17, 2024. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Gibbs won the first two stages, but fell off the lead lap.
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