0.069 seconds. That was the time difference that stood between Denny Hamlin and the 60th win of his NASCAR Cup Series career on Sunday. A valiant effort in Kansas that saw him lead 159 laps despite facing issues with his No. 11 Toyota was just not enough to anticipate the surprise that Chase Elliott pulled in the overtime lap.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver cleverly drove to the inside as Hamlin was engrossed with surpassing Bubba Wallace and took the checkered flag in a dramatic fashion. Needless to say, Hamlin was left heartbroken at the twist. He had nothing but the mechanical issues in his car to blame for the result.
“Yeah, just mechanical failures and different things have really hindered us in years past, and we had no power steering that last run,” he told NBC Sports. “Low voltage. Just a lot of things and just just disappointing because I don’t think I’ve ever had a car that good in the competition.”
#NASCAR … Denny Hamlin: “Just massive disappointment” pic.twitter.com/NvyMDGnzCm
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) September 28, 2025
Hamlin had lost control of the race in a late caution when his jackman stumbled during a two-tire pit stop. Dropping from first to sixth with 10 laps remaining, he made a solid attempt to get the lead back. At the end of the day, the Camry XSE just wouldn’t comply with him.
“Man, I wanted it for my dad,” he lamented emotionally. “I wanted it for everybody. Just wanted it a little too hard.”
Hamlin Credits Team for Incredible Work With Car
Kansas is where Hamlin had his first start in his Cup Series career. To score his 60th win on the track would’ve been something truly special. Missing out on that chance is what appears to have caused the deepest hurt in him.
Regardless, he did not forget to give credit where it was due. He said, “I wanted it bad. It would have been 60 for me. The team just did an amazing job with the car, just really, really fast. Gave me everything I needed. Got the restart I needed. Just couldn’t finish it there on the last corner.”
Wallace is the most unfortunate individual in all this. He might have been the one in Victory Lane had Hamlin not got extremely tight with him in the final moments. Getting slammed to the outside wall, he finished his race in fifth place and now sits 26 points below the cutoff line.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Sep 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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