After the final round of green flag stops, Larson and Hamlin – who both took just two new right-side tires – found themselves running first and second and battling for the lead on a restart with seven of 160 laps remaining.
Hamlin maneuvered to the inner side of Larson, veered towards the track, and lightly pushed Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, causing it to briefly touch the wall.
Hamlin managed to pass and take the lead, and then successfully defended his position against Tyler Reddick, who had made a pit stop for four new tires. Hamlin’s victory was ultimately secured by a caution on the final lap.
Before Hamlin returned to the frontstretch to celebrate in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, fans were already expressing their disapproval by booing loudly and even throwing bottles onto the track.
The win is the second of the 2023 season for Hamlin and 50th of his career.
“I cannot reword”
“That was a choice they made. I didn’t hit either one of them.”
When questioned about the negative reception he received during the interview, Hamlin expressed his appreciation for it. He believed that their team had the superior car and that their strategy was successful. Hamlin credited his crew chief, Chris Gabehart, for consistently improving their position throughout the race. He also mentioned that their car performed exceptionally well during practice. Hamlin expressed his satisfaction with finally winning races that they were expected to win.
Reddick received recognition for finishing in second place, Truex came in third, Kevin Harvick secured fourth place, and Ty Gibbs completed the top five positions.
Christopher Bell, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Harrison Burton, Erik Jones, and Chase Elliott finished in the top-10 running order.
Stage 1
Joey Logano successfully passed William Byron during a restart in the early part of the race and managed to stay ahead of Truex to secure the victory in Stage 1. Hamlin finished in third place, followed by Reddick in fourth and A.J. Allmendinger in fifth.
A few cars that were on the same lap as the leader chose to make a pit stop right before the stage ended. This group included Kyle Busch, Byron, Larson, and Harvick.
Stage 2
A late-stage caution for a spin by Christopher Bell handed Larson the Stage 2 win. Larson was just about to hit pit road himself when the caution for Bell’s incident was displayed. Ty Dillon was second and Byron third.
During the interval between Stages 1 and 2, Logano and Daniel Suarez, who had made pit stops, were caught in a collision at the beginning of the second stage. Both drivers experienced significant damage to their cars and were ultimately unable to continue racing.
Stage 3
A few cars on the lead lap chose to make a pit stop during the break between Stages 2 and 3. However, Byron decided to remain on the track and ended up taking the lead.
After receiving a strong push from Gibbs, Ryan Blaney surged ahead to take the lead for the first time in the race during the restart. However, just one lap later, Blaney’s No. 12 Ford appeared to lose speed, enabling Truex to overtake and claim the lead.
After being hit by Reddick, Austin Dillon collided with the wall in Turn 1, resulting in his elimination from the race. In a fit of anger, Dillon threw his helmet at Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota while it passed by under caution, before being taken away in an ambulance.
Truex led Byron and Gibbs on the restart with 50 laps to go.
With approximately 40 laps left, Larson was one of the first cars on the lead lap to begin the last round of pit stops under green flag conditions. This allowed them to get fresh tires (for most teams) and refuel in order to complete the race.
Larson, Hamlin, and Harvick opted for only two new tires, whereas Truex took a longer pit stop to replace all four tires.
Chase Briscoe lost control and spun out in Turn 3 on lap 143, following a collision with Ty Dillon. This happened right before the remaining cars made their last pit stops.
A few cars made a pit stop, but Larson chose to stay on the track and took over the first position. Hamlin, Truex, Bowman, and Harvick followed him when the race resumed with only 13 laps remaining.
Bowman, who had advanced to third place, lost control of his car while competing with Hamlin for position. As a result, he crashed in Turn 3, leading to a new restart with only seven laps left.
On the restart, Hamlin forcefully pushed Larson towards the outer edge of the track, causing him to collide with the wall. This maneuver allowed Hamlin to take the lead moments before Justin Haley crashed in Turn 2, resulting in the caution being raised again.
With three laps remaining, Hamlin was in the lead, followed by Harvick and Truex.
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