At Dover, the NASCAR Cup Series had a mix of winners and losers. Denny Hamlin emerged victorious, passing Kyle Larson on the final lap and leading for 72 laps. Hamlin has now won three out of the last seven races and has been in first place in every race this season. Larson finished second in the race and is currently leading the points with five top-five finishes in 11 races.
However, not everyone was as lucky as Hamlin or Larson. Kyle Busch finished fourth at Dover, marking his best result since Atlanta and moving back into a playoff spot. Noah Gragson and Daniel Hemric also had solid performances, finishing in the top 10 at Dover for their back-to-back top 10 finishes. Corey Heim made his Cup debut at Dover, finishing 25th despite facing some challenges during the race.
Unfortunately, Bubba Wallace had another disappointing race at Dover, finishing 32nd and falling out of a playoff spot. Christopher Bell was also involved in a crash with Wallace and Smith, finishing 34th. Ryan Preece struggled with a burning issue in his car that ultimately caused him to finish last in the race. Hamlin’s win at Dover puts him tied for 12th on the all-time Cup wins list as he continues to chase after his first series title.
Overall, it was a day of ups and downs for many drivers at Dover. While some were able to overcome obstacles and secure strong finishes, others struggled with mechanical issues or poor decisions that impacted their performance on track. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how these drivers bounce back from their setbacks and continue to compete for championship glory.
In recent years, NASCAR has become more diverse with drivers representing different ethnic backgrounds such as Bubba Wallace who is Black American driver making history by becoming the first full-time African-American driver to run for NASCAR’s top championship since Wendell Scott did so nearly half a century ago