Hamlin wins NASCAR All-Star Race at Dover

For the second time in his celebrated career, Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup Series All-Star Race from pole position, making the pass for victory over his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe with 29 laps remaining to claim the winner’s $1 million check.

Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota went on to win by a .887s margin over Briscoe’s No. 19 JGR Toyota, prevailing in the 200-lap final segment of competition in the three-phase non-points race taking place for the first time ever at the Dover Motor Speedway’s famous one-mile concrete track.

Just finishing the third and final phase of this race was essentially an accomplishment for many of the sport’s best. A pair of nine-car accidents bookended the first of two 75-lap stages and either eliminated or badly handicapped perennial favorites such as past All-Star winners Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney.

Toyota drivers Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, who drive for the 23XI Racing team Hamlin co-owns with NBA legend Michael Jordan, each won one of the opening two stages. Ultimately, it came down to another three Toyotas to settle the popular “main event” in front of a packed house at the venerable Dover “Monster Mile” on a steamy Sunday afternoon.

“Makes it a lot easier when you have a car this fast," said Hamlin, who at 45 years old is the second oldest driver to claim a trophy in the annual All-Star race. “Hats off to this whole [sponsor] Progressive team.

“We strive to be number one and we did it today," he said, adding, “I just knew the game-changer for us was long runs and obviously the ability to pass when behind someone.”

Of the $1 million prize, Hamlin smiled and did not hesitate to say, “I’ll probably give it to Mama." It was an especially moving gesture, considering he lost his father in December in a fire that destroyed his parents’ home.

Hamlin (103) and Briscoe (61) combined to lead all but 36 laps of the final stage, and the runner-up showing for Briscoe was a career best in the All-Star Race.

It was obviously a really fast car and just proud of our group," Briscoe said. “I knocked the wall down in practice and we basically rebuilt the whole car. So, for them to be able to get the car back to where it’s competitive says a lot about the guys. It was a good day.

“Wish it were a points race because we definitely need the points. But it was a hard-fought day," added Briscoe, who said he’d been battling a stomach bug all weekend.

“Had a shot there at the end for a million bucks, and you can’t ask for anything more."

Erik Jones rallied to a third-place finish in the No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota - his best showing of the season - followed by the Chevrolets of Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon and Trackhouse Racing rookie Connor Zilisch, who both also turned in their best finishes of the year.

It was an especially impressive day for 19-year old fan-favorite Zilisch, who absolutely dominated the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series last year by winning 10 times but has endured some expected growing pains in his move up to the premier NASCAR Cup Series this year.

His fifth-place finish proved a remarkable comeback Sunday considering he received a pit road penalty after exiting the pits in second-place near the race’s midpoint. He steadily rallied back from the penalty and moved into the top-10 with 20 laps remaining, then into that fifth-place showing by the checkered flag.

“It would have taken a lot to beat the 11 [Hamlin] and 19 [Briscoe]; they were both really good," Zilisch said. “Regardless, it was a really good day for Trackhouse and this 88 team. We needed a day like this where we had contending speed. It’s been a long year and moments of hope like this certainly feel good.

“It was cool to be on offense for once, have good restarts and not feel like a fish out of water," he added.

Team Penske’s Austin Cindric, Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, Spire Motorsports Michael McDowell, Hendrick Motorsport’s Alex Bowman and Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Brad Keselowski rounded out the top 10. It was a notable comeback performance for the former series champion Keselowski, who started alongside Hamlin on the front row, but was collected in a multi-car accident in the second 75-lap segment.

Hamlin’s victory was his second in 20 All-Star starts, and he becomes the third driver in NASCAR history to win the race at multiple tracks after claiming his first trophy at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2015.

The NASCAR Cup Series championship resumes next week in annual Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (6 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain is the defending race winner.

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