MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Coming to the green to start overtime for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway, Denny Hamlin was the race leader. Coming to the white flag, he was still the race leader, but with Kyle Busch to his inside. Coming to the checkered flag, Busch took the checkered flag as the field wrecked behind him.
Hamlin led the field to the green flag on the overtime restart with two laps to go. Rounding Turn 3, Busch tapped the rear-end of Hamlin and loosened him up, allowing him to get inside him going into Turn 1. He went up the track, allowing Martin Truex Jr. to get to his inside. While he had the preferred line through Turns 3 and 4, Busch powered ahead and drove onto his 43rd career victory in 459 career starts.
As he scored the victory, Hamlin got turned in Turn 4 and triggered a multi-car wreck at the conclusion of the race.
Truex finished second and Clint Bowyer rounded out the podium.
Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five.
Trevor Bayne, Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Matt Kenseth and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the top-10.
RACE SUMMARY
Joey Logano led the field to the green flag at 3:17 p.m. Only ceding the lead to Keselowski on Lap 49. Logano beat on his teammate’s bumper for a good 10 laps, before retaking it on Lap 79. After AJ Allmendinger brought out the caution on Lap 87, Jimmie Johnson stayed out to take the lead. Keselowski got to his inside down the backstretch and took the lead going into Turn 3 on Lap 115 and drove on to win the first stage.
Kyle Busch exited pit road with the lead under the stage break and led the field back to the green on Lap 139. It proceeded entirely caution-free and almost event-free, until Keselowski — who tailed him for much of the closing laps of the stage — passed him with three laps remaining in the second stage, on his way to winning it.
Once more, Busch exited the pits with the lead and led the field to green on Lap 271. Chase Elliott took the lead for the first time when he dove underneath Busch going into Turn 1 on Lap 321. After Landon Cassill brought out the caution on Lap 362, Keselowski exited pit road with the race lead. Elliott took back the lead with 114 to go.
Following Carl Long’s spin in Turn 1, setting up a restart with 30 laps to go, Keselowski got to the inside of Elliott and took over the race lead. He was pulling away and had the checkered flag in sight, until Logano — dealing with a rapidly un-chording left-rear tire — spun out in Turn 2.
Restarting with three to go, Keselowski chose to restart on the outside lane. Elliott took advantage and took over the race lead with two to go. Heading down the backstretch, entering Turn 3, with two to go, Hamlin turned Elliott into the Turn 3 wall, setting up the overtime finish.
CAUTION SUMMATION
Caution flew for the first time on Lap 35 when Michael McDowell turned Ty Dillon. David Ragan’s spin in Turn 4 brought out the second caution. Allmendinger’s spin in Turn 2 brought out the third caution on Lap 87. The end of the first stage brought out the fourth caution on Lap 130. The fifth caution was brought out by the end of the second stage. Kyle Larson caused the sixth caution when he slammed the inside backstretch wall on Lap 303. Erik Jones’ spin in Turn 4 brought out the seventh caution on Lap 315. The eighth caution flew on Lap 362 when Landon Cassill spun out in Turn 2. Carl Long’s spin in Turn 2 brought out the ninth caution with 44 laps to go. The 10th caution flew when Logano spun out in Turn 2. The 11th and final caution flew when Elliott was turned into the Turn 3 wall with two to go.
NUTS & BOLTS
The race lasted three hours, 32 minutes and 47 seconds, at an average speed of 74.902 mph. There were 16 lead changes among six different drivers and 11 cautions for 74 laps.
Truex leaves with a 17-point lead over Busch. Johnson, Blaney, Hamlin and Elliott leave in the Round of 8 drop zone.
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