Denny Hamlin faster than Dale Earnhardt Jr. when it counts
Denny Hamlin didn’t need a Toyota teammate to grab another win at Daytona International Speedway.
Hamlin charged past Dale Earnhardt Jr. with one lap remaining Thursday night to deny Earnhardt a victory in the 150-mile qualifying race that Earnhardt dominated.
Earnhardt led 53 of the 60 laps in the second qualifying Duel, but couldn’t hold off a Hamlin charge at the end.
Hamlin got a push from Chevrolet driver Austin Dillon to gather the momentum needed to get past Earnhardt.
Typically, the Toyota drivers have teamed to navigate through traffic in restrictor-plate races.
In the qualifying race, Hamlin didn’t need his fellow Toyota drivers and even overcame a pit-road penalty to get the win.
Hamlin is the defending Daytona 500 champion and has won a Duel qualifying race three times in his career.
The twin 150-mile races are used to set the field for Sunday’s season-opener, and Hamlin got this win on the same day he announced a contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing and sponsor FedEx.
NASCAR’s new format this year includes a provision that awards points on a 10-to-1 scale to the top-10 Thursday night finishers.
LaJoie ran into the back of Reed Sorenson, one of the drivers he was racing for the slot, causing Sorenson to wreck.
Friday: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,