Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin won his fifth race of the 2020 season after passing Kevin Harvick with 13 laps remaining and holding off Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. to win the Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City on Thursday.

🏁 @dennyhamlin WINS at @kansasspeedway!

His fifth #NASCAR win of 2020! pic.twitter.com/4E15ffOdIl

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

Hamlin, who entered the night sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, is now alone in first in 2020 season wins this year, edging Harvick and his four. Hamlin also registered his 11th top-five finish.

Keselowski, Truex, Harvick and Erik Jones rounded out the top five. Other notables include Stage 1 winner Kyle Busch, who took 11th. Ryan Blaney, who entered Thursday second in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, finished 20th.

The NASCAR Cup Series will now move to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 on Sunday, August 2, but before then, here's a look at stage-by-stage highlights and results.

      

Stage 1

Joe Gibbs Racing dominated the first stage, with Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. finishing first through third. They held off Team Penske teammates Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski, who rounded out the top five.

Keselowski gave it his best effort and lived dangerously while passing Truex on the inside:

This racing, though ... pic.twitter.com/4xrc0nL76T

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 24, 2020

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s night ended before the first stage concluded due to a mechanical issue that caused a fire in the cockpit, per Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass.

Well, that's not good. Ricky is done for the day. pic.twitter.com/mfS7C0xtH1

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 24, 2020

His evening ended early after 58 laps, continuing a rough stretch for JTG Daugherty Racing.

It's been a frustrating stretch for @JTGRacing.

After three straight last-place finishes for Ryan Preece, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. reports an electrical fire and climbs out of his car in stage 1 at @KansasSpeedway. His day is done and he'll finish last. pic.twitter.com/4Lz0iLsGwH

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

It was anything but rough for Joe Gibbs' team, however, after a dominant opening run that earned Busch a total of 10 stage points.

                    

Stage 2

The battle between Gibbs cars continued in the second stage as Truex passed Hamlin for the lead:

NEW LEADER: @MartinTruex_Jr takes the lead away from Denny Hamlin.

Cruising right along in Stage 2 at @KansasSpeedway on NBCSN. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/AiAXcJXMwt

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

Later in the race, Chris Buescher averted a near disaster when his No. 17 car slid into the wall. Thankfully, his car grazed the wall as opposed to a hard impact:

SLIIIIIIIIDEWAYS

📺: NBCSN 📱: https://t.co/BHXvTwJmNc pic.twitter.com/Xvt3Bj0Fia

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 24, 2020

Fitting on the night @taylorswift13 drops her new album that we see sparks fly.

Courtesy of @Chris_Buescher. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/HyE7s8jt6v

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

The end of the second stage saw Penske take the win over Gibbs with Keselowski finishing first.

                

Stage 3

All hell broke loose in the final stage with multiple crashes marring the action.

Matt Kenseth and Bubba Wallace got into an accident:

Trouble for Matt Kenseth and Bubba Wallace!@NASCAR is on NBCSN. pic.twitter.com/hdiIajH63c

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

That preceded a massive crash involving even more drivers:

BIG WRECK!

Multiple drivers involved in this one late at @KansasSpeedway on NBCSN! Matt Dibenedetto, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and more! pic.twitter.com/SYfDnV0B6M

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) July 24, 2020

Not long afterward, Ryan Preece's No. 37 car suffered a horrific crash, although Preece thankfully appeared OK and talked to his crew immediately afterward. He was able to walk away.

A vicious hit for @RyanPreece_. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/8ooOdoEEEe

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

He spoke with reporters afterward:

"I'm alright. Just ready for this year to turn around."

Great to hear from @RyanPreece_ after this hard crash. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/ENOT6b6Diw

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

The crashes eventually stopped long enough for some intense racing down the stretch with Keselowski and William Byron going back and forth:

Less than 50 to go and we've got a Brad Keselowski/William Byron battle for the lead at @KansasSpeedway!

Get to NBCSN now if you're not already there! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/FiftXysOr7

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

Byron held the lead going into a caution after Corey Lajoie's smoking No. 32 car needed attention:

CAUTION for Corey LaJoie.

That's just what race leader William Byron needed. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/Msto5cXQL9

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

But Kevin Harvick later stormed into the lead off a restart:

WHAT A MOVE.@KevinHarvick to the lead on the restart! Now less than 20 laps remain on NBCSN from @KansasSpeedway! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/oOfhqNb5n8

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

However, it was Hamlin who eventually took home the win, passing Harvick and holding off Keselowski for the victory.

.@DennyHamlin has his FIFTH WIN of 2020!

He kicks off the second half of the @NASCAR season in victory lane at @KansasSpeedway! pic.twitter.com/y18K0Masob

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

Hamlin celebrated with his family afterward:

This is awesome!@DennyHamlin's kids can't travel to the track with him, so we brought Taylor and Molly in through video chat to help them celebrate with dad. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/9l1A9Pf4n0

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 24, 2020

The 39-year-old is looking for his first-ever NASCAR Cup Series victory. He has finished as high as second and in the top 10 a total of 11 times. 

Kevin Harvick could take his dominance of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season to another level Sunday during the O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The points leader, who has four victories this year, has won in each of the past three seasons at the 1.5-mile track.

Harvick could find himself up front early on, as he starts fifth on the grid. Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Aric Almirola drew the pole position.

Ryan Blaney will line up on the front row alongside Almirola, while Kurt and Kyle Busch, who are both looking for their first wins of 2020, were slotted into the second row.

                     

O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 Information

Date: Sunday, July 19

Start Time: 3 p,m. ET

TV: NBCSN

Live Stream: NBCSports.com or NBC Sports app

            

Odds

Kevin Harvick +350 (bet $100 to win $350)

Denny Hamlin +600

Kyle Busch +600

Chase Elliott +700

Martin Truex Jr. +700

Ryan Blaney +900

Joey Logano +1,000

Brad Keselowski +1,000

Odds via Caesars Palace.

           

Starting Lineup

Cup starting lineup and pit stalls for Sunday: #nascar pic.twitter.com/13oX25mYNA

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 16, 2020

           

Preview

Harvick is the safe bet to capture another title at Texas.

The No. 4 car driver owns 22 top-10 finishes and 11 top-five placings at the track, and he is one of two competitors to win three years in a row in Fort Worth in the past decade. The other is Jimmie Johnson, who took first five times between 2012 and 2015.

Harvick's main competition could be championship rival Denny Hamlin.

Hamlin won the first of the two races at Texas in 2019. His other triumphs at the track came during a 2010 season sweep.

The two drivers battled for the win in three of the past four points races. They split the weekend victories at Pocono Raceway, and Harvick benefited from Hamlin's flat tire to come out on top at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 5.

Hamlin will be behind Harvick at the start of the race from the No. 7 starting position, and the familiar sight of them running one-two could once against emerge over the 334 laps at Texas.

Kyle Busch is the only driver not named Harvick or Hamlin to win at Texas in the past five races at the track.

The No. 18 car driver has not performed well enough to earn his first victory of the 2020 season, but he will feel as comfortable as possible on the course after running the Truck Series and Xfinity Series races Saturday.

Busch opened up about his failure to reach Victory Lane in conversation with MRN's Jeff Wackerlin:

"It's on your mind that we don't have that win and haven't really been in contention to get that win a whole lot this year. It's just a matter of a lot of circumstances that it's been the way it has been for us so far. Hoping we can start the races close to where we need to be on Sunday and have a good run with our Interstate Batteries Toyota."

Wins are even more valuable at this juncture because it would secure automatic passage into the playoffs. Cole Custer achieved that with his surprise win at Kentucky Speedway last time out.

Going into Texas, William Byron, Jimmie Johnson and Austin Dillon sit 14th-16th in the points standings, while Tyler Reddick and Erik Jones are close behind in 17th and 18th.

Since 2011, 16 of the 18 winners at Texas have started in the top 10, and four of the past five champions came from sixth or better on the starting grid.

One of the two exceptions to that trend was Johnson, who captured the spring race in 2017 after starting in 24th.

                 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Racing Reference.

Kevin Harvick rolled to victory in overtime in the Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 Powered by Big Machine Records at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  

Harvick was sitting in first place at the restart ahead of Matt Kenseth. Rather than bridging the gap on the leader, Kenseth fell far behind the No. 4 car to eliminate any doubt about the result and confirm Harvick's repeat in Indianapolis.

Kevin Harvick's Brickyard 400 win is the third of his career!

Credit One Lap To Go Presented By @CreditOneBank. pic.twitter.com/1ImiTmzf3D

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 6, 2020

Harvick's dominance wasn't limited to overtime. He led more laps (68) than any other driver and was regularly driving near the front of the pack.

            

Big Machine Hand Sanitizer 400 Powered by Big Machine Records Leaderboard

1. Kevin Harvick

2. Matt Kenseth

3. Aric Almirola

4. Brad Keselowski

5. Cole Custer

6. Kyle Busch

7. Michael McDowell

8. Tyler Reddick

9. Bubba Wallace

10. Joey Logano

             

Denny Hamlin looked set to cross an achievement off his career checklist. Prior to Sunday, he had won 41 NASCAR Cup Series races but never reached Victory Lane at the Brickyard.

He was running in first place late into the third stage before his right front tire blew, sending the No. 11 car hard into the wall.

.@DennyHamlin crashes from the lead at @IMS!

Watch the finish NOW on @NBC. #Brickyard400 #NBCRacingWeekend pic.twitter.com/82KcHBXwzn

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 6, 2020

Of all the ways to lose a crown jewel race like the #Brickyard400 ... that had to be a helpless feeling for Hamlin. #NASCAR

— Nick DeGroot (@ndegroot89) July 6, 2020

Although Hamlin only led 19 of the 161 laps, he and his pit crew had run an excellent race to put him at the top of the field. A win was far from a guarantee, but the 39-year-old was in a great position to clinch that long-awaited Indianapolis victory.

More importantly, Hamlin lost out on a chance to widen his lead on Harvick in the points standings. Whereas he could've held a five-to-three advantage in wins, the two stars are now tied at four apiece.

There was a scary moment early in the race on pit road.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway has the narrowest pit road in NASCAR, so the slightest bit of contact can create a big chain reaction such as the pileup on Lap 16. Martin Truex Jr. took the brunt of the damage and was knocked out of the race.

It's a PILEUP on pit road at @IMS!

The #Brickyard400 is underway on @NBC: https://t.co/wKDI0aNMYn #NBCRacingWeekend pic.twitter.com/FrOHnH0Rkd

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 5, 2020

During that wreck, a crew member of Ryan Blaney became briefly wedged between Blaney's No. 12 car and Brennan Poole's No. 15 car. Zach Price appeared to be in good spirits and gave a thumbs up before he was loaded into an ambulance.

Brave people that climb over the wall on pit road.

Happy to see the @Blaney pit crew member smiling with a thumbs up after a crash in the early goings of the #Brickyard400 on @NBC. pic.twitter.com/CCAak9kCCO

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 5, 2020

Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass reported Price was taken to a local hospital to undergo further evaluation.

Erik Jones briefly had fans panicked on Lap 76, as well. He blew a tire, which sent him hard into the wall. The No. 20 car caught fire shortly after impact and as it rolled into the infield. Jones exited the vehicle under his own power and walked away from the crash.

Take another look at what happened to @Erik_Jones to bring out the caution.

📺: NBC | #Brickyard400 pic.twitter.com/WFA8cwonIK

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 5, 2020

Alex Bowman had an almost identical wreck in the third stage.

A hard hit into the SAFER Barrier for @AlexBowman88.

Less than 30 to go in the #Brickyard400 on @NBC. #NBCRacingWeekend pic.twitter.com/2ZvXjANuWe

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 6, 2020

Jones and Bowman finished 33rd and 30th, respectively.

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Kentucky Speedway for the Quaker State 400 next Sunday. 

Kurt Busch was the winner in Sparta, Kentucky, a year ago, while Truex might be looking to atone for his poor finish in Indianapolis. Truex won back-to-back races in 2017 and 2018.

It took a bit longer than expected due to a rain and lightning delay, but Denny Hamlin emerged victorious at the Pocono 350 on Sunday.   

Hamlin held off Kevin Harvick for the win, beating him by three seconds. Erik Jones, Chase Elliott and Aric Almirola rounded out the top five. 

Retweet to congratulate @dennyhamlin on his WIN! He ties @JeffGordonWeb as the all-time Pocono winner with six total.@CocaColaRacing | @JoeGibbsRacing pic.twitter.com/EhXiciO5mB

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 29, 2020

The race came down to pit strategy with Hamlin and his team getting the better of Harvick in those decisions after waiting until Lap 120, which helped build up a nice lead. 

"Hoping for no caution. I knew we had the car, and I just kind of maintained my gap right there," he said of the strategy on the FS1 broadcast. "Didn't want to make any mistakes like I did at Bristol and gave that win away. I just tried to work through the traffic the best I could."

🖐+👆@dennyhamlin's dominance at @PoconoRaceway spans 14 years and there's no end in sight. pic.twitter.com/yvPoDHLpte

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 29, 2020

The money stop!

See if @dennyhamlin's strategy gets him the #Pocono350 win on FS1 and https://t.co/oWWAusOO8X! pic.twitter.com/9fwKrKF1Wa

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 29, 2020

Harvick, meanwhile, ended up getting caught in traffic after taking an earlier pit. He wasn't unhappy with his team's strategy, however, as he told Reid Spencer of NASCAR.com:

"[Hamlin] just did the opposite of what we did. We didn't want to get caught with a caution and then wound up losing a little bit too much time in lapped traffic with all the cars that hadn't pitted. He was out there running clean laps and waited till right to the very end [to pit] and wound up in front of us. I'm proud of everybody on our team. Yesterday, [strategy] won us the race, and today we finished second."

For Hamlin, it was his fourth win of the season, putting him one ahead off Harvick, who got the better of him Saturday at the Pocono Organic 325.

As for the rest of the race, Kurt Busch won the first stage, while Brad Keselowski took the second. There was also the normal array of dustups and wrecks.

"[Elliott] drove us right into the fence." Heavy damage for Michael McDowell. pic.twitter.com/um6ZuM9uRd

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 28, 2020

Heavy damage for Christopher Bell at Pocono. pic.twitter.com/JpweLWLBfJ

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 28, 2020

Kyle Busch is done for the day with 10 laps to go in Stage 2. pic.twitter.com/0Dskh0luX8

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 28, 2020

Up next for the NASCAR Cup Series is the Big Machine Vodka 400 on Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The NASCAR Cup Series' busy weekend at Pocono Raceway concludes Sunday with the Pocono 350. 

Sunday's competition is 25 miles and 10 laps longer than Saturday's Pocono Organics 325. 

When the race finishes, most of the drivers in the 40-man field will have run in 11 competitions since May 17.

Kyle Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates should be at the front of the field all weekend, even if they have to work from a deeper starting position Sunday. 

The top 20 on the starting grid will be inverted from Saturday's results, which means the winner will start 20th. 

             

Pocono 350 Information

Date: Sunday, June 28

Start Time: 4 p.m. ET

TV: FS1

Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app

Odds: Race odds can be found on Caesars Palace

            

Preview

The NASCAR drivers are used to racing at Pocono twice a year, but they have never done so in back-to-back days. 

Unlike the races in the same week at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, the pair of Pocono races were on the initial 2020 schedule. 

In previous years, the Pocono race weekends were split up in June and July, but NASCAR announced the new format last year. 

Busch has a Pocono victory in each of the last three seasons, while his teammates Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. have one win each since 2017.

Hamlin broke down the mentality teams should have if Saturday produces a disappointing finish, per Racer.com's Kelly Crandall.

"If it’s (Saturday) a bad day, you can essentially overhaul your car and put a new setup in and come up with new ideas, and you’ll be starting upfront. I think you can really bounce back. You could have flip-flop days between the two races," Hamlin said. 

In addition to having success at Pocono, Hamlin and Truex recently visited Victory Lane at Martinsville Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway, respectively.

They make up a group of eight racers locked into the playoff field by way of a victory. Busch has a good chance to add his name to that list this weekend based off his previous Pocono success.

The security of already being in the playoffs could allow Hamlin, Truex, Kevin Harvick and Talladega winner Ryan Blaney to drive with more risk toward the end of Sunday's race. 

Those drivers may be forced to take more risks since starting position matters at Pocono. Since 2014, 10 of the 12 winners began the race in the top 10.

The recent trend could also allow an unlikely racer to take first since the inverted starting lineup will be in place.

           

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com

Before the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season began, the two-race weekend at Pocono Raceway was viewed as the most unique setup on the schedule.

After competing in three midweek races in May and June, running a pair of competitions following four days off is just part of the new normal.

Saturday's Pocono Organics 325 follows the most competitive race of the season to date at Talladega Superspeedway, which was won by Ryan Blaney.

Winning back-to-back races will be tough for Blaney, as he faces stiff competition from Pocono expert Kyle Busch and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates who have dominated the track over the last three years. 

           

Pocono Organics 325 Information

Date: Saturday, June 27

Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Live Stream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app

         

Starting Lineup

Cup lineup for Saturday at Pocono. Green flag 3:54pm ET on FOX. Stages 25-52-53 (130 laps). Sunday lineup by Saturday results with top-20 inverted (no lead-lap requirement). Sunday race green 4:24 ET on FS1. Stages 30-55-55 (140 laps). #nascar ⁦@NASCARONFOX⁩ pic.twitter.com/HBE3krdLj3

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 25, 2020

     

Odds

Kyle Busch (+350; bet $100 to win $350)

Kevin Harvick (+500)

Martin Truex Jr. (+600)

Denny Hamlin (+750)

Brad Keselowski (+750)

Chase Elliott (+800)

Joey Logano (+1100)

Ryan Blaney (+1200)

Odds via Caesars Palace

          

Preview

Saturday presents Kyle Busch with the best chance to earn his first victory of the season.

The driver of the No. 18 car conquered Pocono once in each of the last three years. He has a pair of second-place finishes since NASCAR's restart in May, but he also owns three placings beneath 25th, including a 32nd-place mark at Talladega.

Busch credited crew chief Adam Stevens and his teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing for his recent success at the three-turn track, per NBC Sports' Daniel McFadin.

"(Pocono's) evolved with Adam Stevens being the crew chief since 2015," Busch said. "We've run really well there. It's a good track for us. I've learned a lot from my teammate Denny Hamlin who's won there (five times), and certainly working with Martin (Truex Jr., who has two wins) and his guys has also brought on some new, fresh ideas which help."

Hamlin and Truex Jr., who recently picked up their wins, are the only other competitors to capture first in the last five Pocono races. 

All but one of those triumphs came from a top-10 starting position. Truex won from 28th in June 2018. 

Hamlin and Busch start side-by-side on the second row, while Truex was drawn into 11th Thursday. The top 12 positions were determined by a draw from the top 12 teams in owner points. 

Aric Almirola earned the pole position, and Blaney will start next to him on the front row. 

Starting high on the grid has been important for recent Pocono champions. Since 2014, 10 drivers in 12 races have won from a top-10 position.

Blaney may be the best value play on the odds board Saturday since he has a victory from June 2017 at Pocono and has six top-five finishes in the last seven races. 

Kurt Busch could be the other long shot to target at +2000. The driver of the No. 1 car has three Pocono victories and has been a constant fixture in the top 10 since the Coca-Cola 600.

               

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from NASCAR.com

Let's try again Monday.  

NASCAR announced Sunday's GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway was postponed a day because of rain, lightning and heavy wind. The race will begin at 3 p.m. ET and air on Fox with live streaming available at NASCAR.com.

NASCAR issued multiple lightning warnings throughout Sunday afternoon and was unable to salvage the race.

Here is a look at the top favorites for Monday's race, which are available at Caesar's Sportsbook:

• Chase Elliott +700
• Denny Hamlin +1,000
• Joey Logano +1,000
• Brad Keselowski +1,000
• Ryan Blaney +1,100
• Kyle Busch +1,200

Joe Gibbs Racing will have nothing but open track in front of it at the start of Monday's race with Martin Truex Jr. spearheading the field and teammate Denny Hamlin right by him on the front row. Kyle Busch was also drawn into the first three positions.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see one of them capture the first stage as they play off each other and find ideal drafting positions.

However, the thought here is Chase Elliott will be the one battling Hamlin for a victory by the end of the race.

As CBS Sports noted, Elliott has led laps in every race but two this season and is a mere eight points behind Kevin Harvick on the NASCAR leaderboard. He was impressive in last week's race at Homestead-Miami with a second-place finish and enjoyed a victory at Talladega Superspeedway last year.

Hamlin also has a resume of success at Talladega Superspeedway with six top-10 finishes in his last 12 starts and a victory from 2014. He also won last week's race in Miami and won at Darlington Raceway after the season restarted following the hiatus for the COVID-19 pandemic, while Elliott won at Charlotte.

They have been two of the best drivers since the season's restart and will battle for a victory on Monday.

NASCAR's Denny Hamlin unveiled a paint scheme for Sunday's race at Talladega that honors the National Civil Rights Museum.

I promised to listen and that’s what I’m doing. Today you will see my #11 car will not carry the traditional paint scheme that you usually see. @FedEx and myself instead want to give that voice to the @NCRMuseum. Exhibit photos courtesy of the NCRM. pic.twitter.com/KJ0sKumnUT

— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) June 21, 2020

https://twitter.com/texastrevor/status/1274731478585356288

Hamlin wrote:

“I promised to listen and that’s what I’m doing. On Thursday I had the unique pleasure of visiting the National Civil Rights Museum. To say that this was informative, humbling, eye opening is a huge understatement.

"Today you will see my #11 car will not carry the traditional paint scheme that you usually see. FedEx and myself instead want to give that voice to the NCRM. I want to thank them personally for taking the time to educate me on so many topics. I encourage anyone who wants to broaden their perspective on African American history to please visit this historic museum. Let’s all come together to make a difference.”

Hamlin's primary sponsor, FedEx, also announced a $500,000 donation to the Civil Rights Museum.

NASCAR has taken steps to increase awareness of racial injustice among its fanbase in recent weeks, banning the Confederate flag and rescinding its ban of employees kneeling during the national anthem. Bubba Wallace, the sport's lone black driver, previously sported a Black Lives Matter color scheme.

The Civil Rights Museum, located in Memphis, was built at the site of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination and chronicles the civil rights movement dating back to the 17th century.  

Stage 1. Stage 2. Checkered flag.  

Denny Hamlin captured them all Sunday with a victory at the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He held off late charges from Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney in a race that was delayed by lightning multiple times to earn his third win of the season.

He was also victorious at the Daytona 500 in February and Toyota 500 in May.

CHECKERED FLAG: @dennyhamlin sweeps all three stages and captures the 🏁 in the #DixieVodka400 at @HomesteadMiami! pic.twitter.com/B8medofHdM

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 15, 2020

Denny Hamlin won the Dixie Vodka 400 on the NASCAR Cup Series. He is the 20th driver in Cup Series history to reach 40 career wins.

Of those drivers, he joined Junior Johnson and Mark Martin as the only ones to reach that mark without a Cup Series championship. pic.twitter.com/LGXpnG689I

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 15, 2020

Sunday's race was notable for more than Hamlin's win as it was the first that featured fans in the stands since the season was delayed for the COVID-19 pandemic. Nick Schwartz of USA Today's For The Win noted NASCAR opened the gates for 1,000 fans, most of whom were military members from the nearby Homestead Air Reserve Base and U.S. Southern Command in Doral.

FANS IN THE STANDS (for the first time in three months). pic.twitter.com/rw6jpo8FZk

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 14, 2020

Hamlin started on pole position after winning a random draw and took full advantage out of the gates.

Elliott and Blaney dueled for the lead in the early going, and Joey Logano sustained some damage when he ran into the back of Quin Houff on pit road, but Stage 1 largely belonged to Hamlin.

He seized the lead from Blaney and earned his 12th stage point of the year, which put him one point behind Logano for the most playoff points. It was also notable that he made such an impact in the first stage since it was his first race with crew chief Chris Gabehart back since the latter was suspended for four races after a piece of tungsten fell off Hamlin's car in the pace lap of May's Coca-Cola 600.

.@dennyhamlin wins this tremendous battle for the lead in Stage 1! #DixieVodka400 pic.twitter.com/MVvUeZffJp

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 15, 2020

Elliott and Blaney took turns with the lead in the early going of Stage 2, which marked a drastic change from Blaney's usual performances at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Entering the race, the best finish of his career at the track was 11th place.

However, Hamlin took the lead again following a series of green-flag pit stops and extended it with a dominant performance throughout the rest of the stage. He even lapped cars such as Jimmie Johnson, Cole Custer and Ryan Newman and notched another playoff point with ease.

The only real drama of the second stage came when Blaney bumped Tyler Reddick, but the latter maintained his position.

Boop.@TylerReddick | @Blaney pic.twitter.com/5Euyh58Ycg

— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) June 15, 2020

A number of drivers weren't as fortunate at the start of Stage 3 as Kurt Busch and Austin Dillon were each penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation. There was also a caution when Logano dealt with more trouble in a disappointing showing:

A tough night gets even tougher for @joeylogano.

Caution is out in the final stage at @HomesteadMiami. pic.twitter.com/i40XciEnKy

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 15, 2020

It wasn't smooth sailing for Hamlin anymore, either. Blaney and Elliott both made charges during a heated stretch with 74 laps remaining. Hamlin went around the former on the side to keep the lead for the moment, but the latter moved past him during a pit cycle in the final 50 laps.

Yeah, it's getting good.

With less than 75 laps remaining, @dennyhamlin, @Blaney and @chaseelliott are all battling for the top spot! (📺: FOX) pic.twitter.com/2paEPjOhkb

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 15, 2020

Logano came into play one more time as Elliott struggled to lap him before Hamlin received something of a bump to take the lead for good.

That was all the No. 11 car needed before he finished his third and final stage in front of the rest of the pack.

NEW LEADER: @dennyhamlin (with the help of @joeylogano?) gets past @chaseelliott for the lead! pic.twitter.com/AucU6zVpx8

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 15, 2020

He will look to replicate his performance and carry his momentum over to the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama for the Geico 500 next Sunday.

Denny Hamlin will be without three crew members, including crew chief Chris Gabehart, for the next four NASCAR Cup races.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), NASCAR suspended Gabehart, car chief Brandon Griffeth and engineer Scott Simmons through June 10 because a piece of tungsten fell off Hamlin's car on the pace lap before Sunday's Coca-Cola 600.

The rule book calls for a four-race suspension for those team members if the 35-pound block of tungsten, which is included on the car to help it make the weight requirements for races, falls off. 

.@colepearn, former @JoeGibbsRacing crew chief, offers his reaction to the penalty issued to @dennyhamlin's No. 11 team. pic.twitter.com/CajYYrRlWS

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 25, 2020

Joe Gibbs Racing will not appeal the suspensions and will use Sam McAulay as the crew chief, Eric Phillips as the car chief and Scott Eldridge as the engineer for the next four races.

It is a testament to Hamlin's racing ability he managed to finish in 29th place in the 40-car field even after the tungsten fell off. After all, he went to pit road following the pace lap and was unable to join the race until eight laps were already completed.

Hamlin was coming off a victory at Darlington Raceway on Wednesday, and he won the Daytona 500 in February.

The 39-year-old fell from fourth place to eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings following the Coke 600, which Brad Keselowski won in stunning fashion at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It appeared as if Chase Elliott was going to cruise to victory, but the race went into caution and overtime when Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron spun out.

Elliott's crew chief decided to pit during the yellow, and Keselowski, who stayed out on track, held the field off for his first win of the season.

Hamlin will look to climb up the standings without Gabehart, Griffeth and Simmons, who will miss Wednesday's race at Charlotte as well as Bristol, Atlanta and Martinsville.