Denny Hamlin began from the pole and claimed the second race within the NASCAR Cup Collection’ Spherical of 16 playoffs on Sunday, beating teammate Chase Briscoe within the Take pleasure in Illinois 300 at World Extensive Expertise Raceway in Madison, Sick.
Hamlin and Briscoe, teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing, wound up second and third behind chief Brad Keselowski on the ultimate restart with 24 laps to go.
Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota, which led a race-high 75 laps, simply handed Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford on previous tires and beat Briscoe by 1.620 seconds for Hamlin’s series-best fifth win and 59th of his profession.
Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano had been the top-five finishers within the 10-caution race that featured 15 lead modifications and 52 warning laps.
JGR and Toyota have received the primary two races of the playoffs.
Hungry for a win after final tasting victory on Might 11 at Kansas, Kyle Larson swept by Hamlin on Lap 8 and drove off from the Toyota.
Kyle Busch, who final received two years in the past in Illinois, looped his No. 8 Chevrolet by himself on Lap 27 for the primary warning, bringing Larson and many of the automobiles to pit street.
With 10 laps remaining, No. 21 driver Josh Berry — sixteenth within the playoff standings — wrecked in Flip 2 after contact with Elliott and broken his Wooden Brothers Ford terminally.
Main with 4 to go in Stage 1, Briscoe and Larson raced one another as if it had been the ultimate circuit of the 240-lap, 300-mile race. Briscoe held on to seize the ten factors adopted by Larson, Hamlin, William Byron and Blaney.
Nonetheless, Briscoe locked up his right-front tire on down the frontstretch and punted Daniel Suarez’s No. 99 Chevrolet into the wall. To compound issues, Briscoe’s No. 19 crew had a left-rear hang-up on the pit cease.
Wallace grabbed the purpose early, lower than midway via 95-lap Stage 2, and paced the best way for Logano and Christopher Bell, each just below three seconds behind because the section neared its finish.
Following a spin of Blaney by Larson, Wallace’s 23XI Racing Toyota scored a win within the one-lap shootout to finish the stage. Keselowski, Logano, Larson and Bell had been the highest 5. Playoff driver Austin Dillon stayed out on previous tires and completed sixth.
–Subject Degree Media