Truex Jr. had dominated what ended up being a really uneventful race – main 228 of the 407 laps – and appeared to have his first win of the 2024 season effectively in hand when Kyle Larson obtained spun out with one lap remaining and despatched the race into time beyond regulation.
The entire lead lap vehicles elected to pit for brand new tires below the warning and Hamlin beat Truex off pit street to cleared the path on the restart.
Hamlin obtained a great bounce on Truex to clear for the lead as Truex raced onerous with Larson and Logano by means of Turns 1 and a couple of earlier than Hamlin edged Logano by 0.269 seconds on the checkered flag to safe his second win of the season.
Watch: Denny Hamlin: ‘A staff win for certain’ after Richmond victory
After taking the checkered flag, an apparently upset Truex rammed into Larson coming into Flip 1 after which bumped Hamlin’s automobile from behind 3 times on the quiet down lap.
The win is the 53rd of Hamlin’s profession and the fifth at his dwelling observe of Richmond.
“I’ve had one of the best pit crew all 12 months lengthy. I beloved our possibilities,” Hamlin mentioned about going into time beyond regulation. “We nonetheless had Martin (Truex Jr.) – he was the deserving race winner there, however you give these pit crews a possibility – that is what it’s all about. It’s a must to have your complete staff put collectively – they usually simply killed it at present.
“We had been shut all day lengthy. We saved the chief proper there near us, however simply couldn’t fairly get there. It was so excruciatingly onerous to move. It made it actually tough – even with newer tires. I wanted that type of state of affairs in the long run to have the ability to win it.
“Now we have excessive aspirations this 12 months and what number of wins we will get, and that is placing us proper on observe.”
Larson ended up third, Truex fourth and Chase Elliott rounded out the highest 5.
Finishing the highest 10 had been Christopher Bell, William Byron, Brad Keselowski, Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick.
Stage 1
Larson took the Stage 1 win over Wallace when a late warning got here out for a spin by Daniel Suarez. Alex Bowman was third, Truex fourth and Logano rounded out the highest 5.
With mild rain nonetheless within the space, NASCAR had groups begin the race on moist climate tires, marking the primary time in historical past that sport raced competitively on an oval in damp circumstances.
Throughout a contest warning on lap 30, NASCAR allowed groups to modify to slick tires with out dropping their place on the observe.
Stage 2
Truex simply held off Josh Berry to take the win in an uneventful Stage 2. Logano was third, Larson fourth and Hamlin rounded out the highest 5.
Stage 3
Following the break between Phases 2 and three, the lead lap vehicles all pit with Truex first off pit street. When the race returned to inexperienced on lap 241, Truex led Larson and Hamlin.
On lap 287, a number of vehicles, together with chief Truex, kicked off a spherical of inexperienced flag pit stops to tackle new tires and gasoline and using a two-stop technique within the ultimate stage.
The spherical of stops was accomplished on lap 295 when Bell was the final lead lap automobile to pit and Truex cycled again to the lead.
Bell was penalized for dashing throughout his cease and needed to serve a pass-through penalty which left him again in nineteenth and one lap down.
Reddick and Chase Briscoe had been among the many first drivers to hit pit street with 67 laps to go and kick off a ultimate spherical of inexperienced flag stops to tackle new tires and gasoline to make it to the top of the race.
Each Larson and Truex pit on lap 337 and Larson – who had the primary pit stall because of profitable the pole – handed Truex as the 2 returned to the observe.
Truex, nevertheless, rapidly obtained again round Larson and cycled again to the lead with 53 laps to go.
With 30 laps remaining, Logano obtained round Larson to maneuver into the runner up place, however he was nonetheless nearly 3.5 seconds behind Truex, the chief.
Lapped site visitors helped Logano shut the hole to Truex all the way down to below a second with 10 laps to go as Hamlin closed in from third.
With one lap to go, Wallace obtained into the again of Larson, who spun down the observe and into the frontstretch wall to convey out the warning and ship the race into time beyond regulation.
All of the lead lap vehicles pit with Hamlin the primary off pit street and he led the way in which over Truex and Logano when the race resumed.
