Denny Hamlin chases down Matt DiBenedetto, gets win No. 4 of 2019 at Bristol
This year could be Denny Hamlin’s best chance at a championship.
Hamlin got his fourth win of the season Saturday night at Bristol as he passed Matt DiBenedetto for the lead with 12 laps to go for the victory.
DiBenedetto, who is losing his ride with the No. 95 Leavine Family Racing team at the end of the season, looked like he had his first career win in hand in the final 20 percent of Saturday night’s race. But he had contact with Ryan Newman as he tried to lap the infamously hard to pass veteran and Hamlin was able to close up. The contact also slightly damaged DiBenedetto’s car.
Was it enough for Hamlin to pass DiBenedetto? Who knows. Hamlin appeared to be faster anyway. But once Hamlin got near DiBenedetto it was only a matter of time before he got to the lead.
“I’m so sorry to Matt DiBenedetto, [crew chief] Mike Wheeler,” Hamlin said after climbing from his car. “I hate it. I know a win would mean a lot to that team. I gotta give it 110 percent for FedEx and my whole team.”
Hamlin is now tied for the Cup Series lead in wins with Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. JGR cars have won 12 of the season’s 24 races. Leavine Family Racing is a Toyota-aligned team with Joe Gibbs Racing.
“I wanted to win so bad for these guys, this team, for them giving me this opportunity,” an emotional DiBenedetto said. He’ll likely be replaced by Christopher Bell in the No. 95 car in 2020.
“I’m just thankful that they gave me this opportunity ... I’m thankful but man I’m sad. I got tight after the deal with Newman when he came up into us and all the sudden got really tight after that.”
DiBenedetto joined the No. 95 car ahead of the 2019 season after he left GoFas Racing’s No. 32 car at the end of 2018. He signed a one-year deal with the team and his two top-five finishes in 23 races weren’t enough for LFR to keep him for 2020. He announced earlier this week that he wouldn’t return to the team while it has been reported that Bell, who has won 13 Xfinity Series races in the past three seasons, would take his place next year.
“I’m not done yet,” DiBenedetto said. “Something will come open. I’m here to win.”
Why Hamlin’s a title contender
Hamlin, who started on the pole, went a lap down at one point during Saturday night’s race because of some damage when he got caught in someone else’s accident.
But his car was exceptionally fast throughout the final stage. And once he got his lap back he worked his way through the field and into the top five.
Hamlin has been one of the fastest drivers in 2019 and started the season with a win in the Daytona 500. He then won at Texas and won at Pocono a few weeks ago for his third win of the season. In addiiton to being tied with Busch and Truex for the most wins, he’s tied with Truex for second behind Busch with 23 playoff points through the first 24 races.
He’s been more consistent than Busch and Truex too. Hamlin has 13 top-five finishes, the most of anyone in the Cup Series. His speed at all types of tracks makes him a favorite — if not the favorite — to win the Cup Series title.
A Cup championship would be a fitting cap to what’s already been a Hall of Fame career from Hamlin. Saturday night’s win was his 35th, fourth-most among active drivers and behind only Jimmie Johnson, Busch and Kevin Harvick.
Hamlin’s best chance at a title (so far) came in 2010, when he lost out on the title to Johnson at Homestead. But Hamlin has grown a bunch since then and it’s nearly impossible to think the pressure would get to him in 2019 like it did in 2010. After all, Hamlin had the first winless season in 2018. Look at how he’s bounced back.
Race results
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Matt DiBenedetto
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Kyle Busch
5. Chase Elliott
6. Kyle Larson
7. Clint Bowyer
8. Daniel Suarez
9. Kurt Busch
10. Ryan Blaney
11. Ryan Newman
12. Daniel Hemric
13. Martin Truex Jr.
14. Bubba Wallace
15. Alex Bowman
16. Joey Logano
17. Chris Buescher
18. Ryan Preece
19. Jimmie Johnson
20. Ty Dillon
21. William Byron
22. Erik Jones
23. Paul Menard
24. Corey LaJoie
25. Landon Cassill
26. Ross Chastain
27. Matt Tifft
28. JJ Yeley
29. Aric Almirola
30. Quin Houff
31. Kyle Weatherman
32. BJ McLeod
33. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
34. Austin Dillon
35. Josh Bilicki
36. David Ragan
37. Michael McDowell
38. Reed Sorenson
39. Kevin Harvick
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
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