Hamlin wins for 2nd straight year at Dover

Denny Hamlin makes a pit stop during a NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway on Sunday in Dover, Del. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
DOVER, Del. (AP) — Denny Hamlin went back-to-back at Dover Motor Speedway, holding a late lead through a rain delay and an overtime finish Sunday for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s series-best fourth victory of the season.
Hamlin won in the No. 11 Toyota for the second straight time at Dover to add to wins this season at Martinsville, Darlington and Michigan.
Hamlin has 58 NASCAR Cup Series victories, leaving him two short of Kevin Harvick for 10th on the career list. The 44-year-old Virginia driver might hit that mark this season as he chases his first career Cup championship.
“Winning here at Dover is super special to me,” Hamlin said. “This is a place that I’ve not been very good at the first half of my career. To go back-to-back here the last two years is amazing.”
Hamlin took the checkered flag days after he suffered a setback in court with his own 23XI Racing team’s federal antitrust suit against NASCAR.
On Thursday, a federal judge rejected a request from 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports to continue racing with charters while they battle NASCAR in court, meaning their six cars will race as open entries this weekend at Dover, next week at Indianapolis and perhaps longer than that in a move the teams say would put them at risk of going out of business.
Hamlin vowed this weekend “all will be exposed” if the case goes to its scheduled Dec. 1 trial date.
The courtroom drama hasn’t affected Hamlin’s performance on the track. Hamlin held off JGR teammate Chase Briscoe for the victory. Hendrick Motorsports drivers took the next two spots, with Alex Bowman third and Kyle Larson fourth.
In-season challenge
The Tys have it in NASCAR.
It’s Ty Gibbs vs. Ty Dillon next week at Indianapolis to decide the first winner in NASCAR’s $1 million mid-season tournament.
NASCAR seeded 32 drivers for the first In-season Challenge, a five-race, bracket-style tournament that mirrors the NCAA basketball tournaments.
Both drivers are winless and Dillon made it as the No. 32 seed. Gibbs finished fifth Sunday for JGR.
John Hunter Nemechek and Tyler Reddick were eliminated.