Denny Hamlin Beats Teammate Chase Briscoe in Double Overtime to Win EchoPark Automotive 400

For the second consecutive year, NASCAR Hall of Famer Denny Hamlin has successfully mastered the ever-tricky Dover Motor Speedway to earn his 58th Cup Series career win and the fourth of 2025 in the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Despite experiencing late-race woes due to worn tires from adverse weather and multiple pit stops, Hamlin was able to capture the checkered flag by just 0.310 seconds over teammate Chase Briscoe. Though unexpected, Hamlin embraced the win as has JGR team owner Joe Gibbs, who praised him for his remarkable performance, and there’s certainly no argument there.

Why the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 Was Momentous for Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin’s win at Dover Speedway in the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 was momentous for many reasons, but most notably for the points he racked up based on this performance. Hamlin added 57 points as a result of Sunday’s win, putting him at number four in overall series points at 663, just a single digit below Kyle Larson, who stands at 664. Hamlin’s teammate, Chase Briscoe, on the other hand, found himself in the runner-up position for the second consecutive week.

Following are Alex Bowman (P3), Kyle Larson (P4), and Ty Gibbs (P5) to round out Sunday’s top five contenders. Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott (P6) and Joe Gibbs’ Briscoe also performed well, winning stages 1 and 2, respectively. Briscoe, who was piloting the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Toyota, desperately tried to pull the lead into stage three, but Dover Motor Speedway was hit with double overtime due to a rain delay.

At the restart, Hamlin, who was trailing behind his teammate, was relentless in his pursuit to make it back out front, waiting for the moment Chase Briscoe let his guard down. As fate would have it, his determination paid off in the race’s final lap, and he was able to close in on his teammate and make a pass for the win. The stamina coupled with the split-second turn of luck for Denny Hamlin was remarkable, especially at a track the JGR driver once considered one of his least favorites in the NASCAR circuit.

A Tough Path to Victory Lane

Denny Hamlin’s path to victory lane after his Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 from a spectator standpoint at Dover Motor Speedway almost seemed flawlessly executed. However, viewing it from the grandstands is a stark contrast from what drivers see behind the wheel of a race car. Hamlin spoke to the media post-race and explained that the road to victory was anything but easy, citing the race restarts and tough competition on the field as the reasons.

He continued his statement by mentioning how special it was for him to win at Dover Speedway for the second consecutive year. The No. 11 Joe Gibbs driver hasn’t always performed well at the track, and that’s part of what makes this such a defining moment for him. Denny Hamlin credits this success to studying NASCAR greats like Jimmie Johnson, who has won at Dover 11 times, and former teammate Martin Truex Jr., who has captured four wins there.

“It was a tough battle,” Hamlin told reporters post-race. “I had to endure a few restarts there. Those guys gave me a run for it. Winning here in Dover is super special to me. To go back-to-back here is amazing,” he concluded.

“I just studied some of the greats here,” Hamlin said of his love/hate relationship with Dover Motor Speedway. “I was very fortunate to have Martin Truex Jr. as a teammate and Jimmie Johnson watching him win 11 times here. You learn from the greats, and if you change your game to match it. You have success like this [Dover Win].”

Final Thoughts

From the beginning, it didn’t seem very reasonable to assume that Denny Hamlin could pull a top-five, much less a win, after starting in P13 during Sunday’s Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400. Yet, if there’s one thing fans have learned about Hamlin, it’s never to underestimate his ability to recover himself at any level. Denny Hamlin has more than proved that this season, and the prime example is when he ended his 10-year winless streak at Martinsville on March 30, followed by a win in Darlington on April 6. Will this momentum continue?