Darlington, S.C. (April 6, 2025) – Denny Hamlin pulled off a dramatic late victory in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway, snatching the lead on the final pit stop and holding on in overtime to beat William Byron. Hamlin’s win in the Goodyear 400 is his second consecutive Cup Series triumph and fifth career win at the historic “Track Too Tough to Tame.” The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran edged Byron by 0.597 seconds after a late caution flipped the script on a race that Byron had dominated from the outset.

Byron Dominates Early Stages

William Byron’s No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet leads at Darlington Raceway. Byron led 243 of 293 laps and swept the first two stages but fell short of victory.

From the drop of the green flag, William Byron established himself as the driver to beat. Starting from pole in a throwback-painted No. 24 Chevrolet, Byron led the first 243 laps without relinquishing the top spot. He won Stage 1 and Stage 2 with ease, pacing the field for 185 laps in the process. In doing so, Byron became only the second driver since stage racing began in 2017 to lead every lap in the first two stages of a Cup race. He also became the first driver ever to win a stage at Darlington in flag-to-flag fashion. Early on, Byron navigated several cautions – including a Lap 4 crash by Kyle Larson that brought out the first yellow – yet never lost command at the front.

Byron’s Hendrick Motorsports Chevy was so strong that even with multiple restarts and pit cycles, he consistently powered back to the lead. An incident on Lap 82 involving Carson Hocevar and Riley Herbst brought out another caution near the end of Stage 1, but Byron’s pit crew kept him in first. Through the middle portion of the race, Byron continued to set a blistering pace. “It’s been a flawless day so far,” his team radioed, as Byron led every lap through 200. Behind him, rivals like Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano tried to keep pace; Hamlin ran top five much of the afternoon, while others like Christopher Bell lurked close behind. But none could challenge Byron’s supremacy in the first two stages.

Pit Strategy and Late-Race Twist

Everything changed in the final stage as teams gambled on pit strategy during a long green-flag run. With about 60 laps remaining (around Lap 231), green-flag pit stops began among the leaders. Byron stayed out slightly longer than some competitors, hoping for fresher tires at the end of the run. Tyler Reddick short-pitted on Lap 239, attempting to use new tires to gain time. When Byron finally headed to pit road on Lap 244, he surrendered the lead for the first time all day. As Byron hit pit lane, Hamlin stayed out one extra lap and briefly assumed the lead before making his stop on Lap 248.

The sequence shuffled the running order. Reddick’s early pit paid off – once the cycle completed, Reddick emerged as the race leader by Lap 248. Byron’s strategy went awry, as his later stop caused him to cycle out several seconds behind Reddick and Bell in third place. For the first time all afternoon, Byron was not in control, and Reddick’s No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota held a lead of over six seconds with about 40 laps to go. Byron and Christopher Bell (who also pitted a bit earlier) gave chase with fresher tires, gradually cutting into Reddick’s margin.

Meanwhile, Ryan Blaney became a factor late. Blaney’s Team Penske Ford came alive on the long run; he ran down and passed both Bell and Byron, taking over second place by Lap 280. With under 10 laps remaining, Blaney was rapidly closing on Reddick, shrinking the gap each circuit. With five laps to go, Blaney caught Reddick in traffic and made a move for the lead. The two made slight contact off Turn 2 as Blaney completed the pass on Lap 290. But just seconds later, disaster for Reddick – and opportunity for others – struck when Kyle Larson spun off Turn 2, bringing out a late caution. Larson, who had returned to the track many laps down after his early crash, lost control again, erasing Reddick’s hopes and nullifying Blaney’s newly earned lead in one fell swoop.

That spin set up a green-white-checkered overtime finish, and suddenly Byron had new life while Reddick was left ruing what might have been. Caution flew with only 3 laps remaining, meaning the race would go into extra laps beyond the scheduled 293. All the leaders headed to pit road for one final stop under yellow, knowing fresh tires would be crucial for the two-lap shootout. In this high-pressure stop, Hamlin’s pit crew delivered big – the No. 11 Toyota beat everyone off pit road to grab the top spot for the restart. “Clutch performance by the #11 crew,” Hamlin lauded over the radio. Reddick’s team got him out second, with Byron exiting third, followed by Blaney and Bell. After dominating all day, Byron now found himself restarting behind Hamlin and Reddick in the overtime dash, needing to overtake two strong cars in just a couple laps.

Hamlin Prevails in Overtime

On the overtime green-white-checkered restart (Lap 296), Hamlin launched from the inside lane with Reddick on his outside. Despite slightly older left-side tires, Hamlin executed a perfect restart and cleared Reddick by Turn 1. Byron quickly slipped past Reddick into second as well. Over the final two circuits, Byron tried to chase down Hamlin, but clean air and track position prevailed. Hamlin kept his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota out front and error-free for the remaining lap and a half, as Byron couldn’t get close enough to attempt a pass. After 297 total laps, Hamlin streaked under the checkered flag to claim a thrilling overtime victory, his second straight win in as many weeks.

Hamlin’s savvy veteran drive in the clutch handed him career Cup Series victory No. 56, breaking a tie with Rusty Wallace for sole possession of 11th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list . It was also Hamlin’s fifth win at Darlington Raceway, further cementing his status as one of the track’s modern masters. “This place has always meant a lot to me,” Hamlin said after climbing out of his car, thanking his pit crew for the race-winning stop. The 42-year-old driver had ended a 30-race winless drought just one week ago at Martinsville, and now he has strung together back-to-back triumphs to jump-start his 2025 season. “To get two in a row, especially here at Darlington, is just incredible,” Hamlin noted, smiling with the winner’s trophy in hand.

Byron, who led four-fifths of the race’s laps, climbed out of his car visibly disappointed but gracious. “It’s tough to swallow – we had the best car all day,” Byron admitted. A slow final pit stop wasn’t the issue; rather, Byron acknowledged that the timing of the caution was simply unfortunate. Despite the bitter defeat, the 25-year-old praised his No. 24 team’s dominant performance. “I’m proud of how we ran…sometimes things just don’t fall your way,” Byron said. He still came away with a runner-up finish and two stage wins, padding his points total and showing that his Darlington prowess (he won here in 2023) is no fluke.

Final Results and Notable Performances

Hamlin’s win denied Byron what would have been his first Darlington Cup victory since 2023. Byron finished second after his stellar day out front. Christopher Bell crossed the line third in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota, quietly earning a solid podium finish. Early leader Reddick wound up fourth after the overtime scramble, unable to capitalize on his late-race strategy. Ryan Blaney rounded out the top five in fifth, another strong showing as he nearly stole the win before the late caution. Roush Fenway Keselowski’s Chris Buescher finished sixth, continuing his consistent season.

Notably, Ross Chastain charged from deep in the field to claim seventh. Chastain had started 25th on the grid, but he methodically worked his No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevy through traffic all race long to net a top 10 result. Chase Elliott brought home an eighth-place finish in his throwback-painted No. 9 Chevrolet, while Ty Gibbs impressed with a ninth-place effort as a rookie. Kyle Busch completed the top ten, rebounding from an early pit road penalty to secure tenth in the Richard Childress Racing No. 8 Camaro.

Josh Berry had been running fifth midway through the race in the Wood Brothers No. 21 Ford before a collision with Reddick on Lap 195 sent him hard into the inside wall, ending his strong run. And Larson, despite two separate incidents (including the race-altering spin), was classified 36th.

Eight caution periods (including stage breaks) slowed the race, but in the end, fans were treated to a classic Darlington finish – a dominant performance overturned by late drama, and a savvy veteran stealing the spotlight. Hamlin’s clutch overtime victory at “The Lady in Black” not only denied Byron’s bid for glory but also added another chapter to Darlington’s legend of unpredictability. With two wins in a row, Hamlin now carries significant momentum and an early postseason cushion in playoff points. Byron, on the other hand, will look to bounce back, knowing he had a car capable of victory. As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Bristol next week, the storyline is clear: Denny Hamlin has hit his stride, and the rest of the field – including a determined William Byron – will be aiming to knock the No. 11 off its perch.

Top 10 Finishers: 1. Denny Hamlin (Toyota), 2. William Byron (Chevrolet), 3. Christopher Bell (Toyota), 4. Tyler Reddick (Toyota), 5. Ryan Blaney (Ford), 6. Chris Buescher (Ford), 7. Ross Chastain (Chevrolet), 8. Chase Elliott (Chevrolet), 9. Ty Gibbs (Toyota), 10. Kyle Busch (Chevrolet).

Race Highlights: Byron led 243 of 293 laps and swept Stages 1 and 2. Four drivers traded the lead a total of four times (Byron, Hamlin, Reddick, Blaney each led). There were 8 caution periods for 45 laps, including a pivotal yellow with 3 laps to go that set up the overtime finish. Hamlin’s win was his 2nd of 2025 and 56th of his Cup career, moving him to 11th on the all-time wins list. The series returns to action April 13 at Bristol Motor Speedway, where Hamlin will aim to continue his hot streak, and Byron will seek redemption on the dirt-covered short track.

Quote of the Day: “We weren’t the best car for most of the day, but we put ourselves in position at the end,” Hamlin said in Victory Lane, reflecting on the comeback nature of his win. “My pit crew – just unbelievable. They got it done when it mattered most. You hate to see a caution decide it like that, but we’ll take it. A Darlington win is always special.” On the other side, Byron offered a terse assessment: “Dominating like that, it definitely hurts not to win. But that’s racing. Our time will come.”

Up Next: The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Bristol for a special dirt-track race under the lights next Sunday, where all eyes will be on whether Hamlin can continue his winning ways and whether Byron can convert speed into a victory.

Sources: Race results and statistics from NBC Sports and Jayski/NASCAR reports. Live race updates courtesy of Racing America (Toby Christie).