Denny Hamlin wins dramatic Coke 600 with last-lap pass

Hamlin started on the pole but struggled to stay in contention for the win most of the night and was even collected in the 13-car accident near the end of Stage 2.

But as the caution-filled race wound to a close, the field went four-wide off Turn 4 on the first lap of the first overtime, and Hamlin scooted by with the lead as a seven-car wreck erupted behind him.

Hamlin led entering the second overtime but his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch briefly grabbed the lead only to see him get loose and Hamlin reclaim it on the final lap. He held off Busch by 0.119 seconds to claim the win – his first-ever at Charlotte.

The win is the 48th of Hamlin’s NASCAR Cup Series career and second this season. Hamlin now lays claim to winning the longest race in NASCAR history in distance – 413 laps or 619.5 miles.

“It’s so special. It’s the last big one that’s not on my résumé. It means so much,” Hamlin said. “Man, just can't thank this whole team enough. Never won the Coke 600 before. This means a lot.

“Man, we weren’t very good all day. Just got ourselves in the right place at the right time. What a battle there.”

Kevin Harvick ended up third, Chase Briscoe fourth and Christopher Bell rounded out the top-five.

Completing the top-10 were Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Michael McDowell, Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman.

Stage 4

Following the break between Stages 3 and 4, all lead-lap cars pit with Reddick the first off pit road. Bowman was penalized on his stop for equipment interference and had to restart from the rear of the field.

When the race resumed on Lap 308 Reddick was followed by Ross Chastain, Larson and Briscoe.

Chastain went low in Turn 4 around Reddick and reclaimed the lead on Lap 323 as Reddick and Larson remained close behind.

Reddick developed a flat left-rear tire and fell off the pace just as NASCAR displayed a caution on Lap 341 for debris from Reddick’s tire on the track.

All the lead-lap cars pit with Chastain the first off pit road. When the race restarted on Lap 346, Chastain was followed by Larson, Briscoe, Cole Custer and Austin Dillon.

On Lap 346, Daniel Suarez failed to clear Briscoe and the two made contact which sent Suarez spinning into traffic. Chris Buescher was hit by Suarez and then again by Todd Gilliland, and that hit sent Buescher’s car into the infield turf.

A broken piece of Buescher’s No. 17 Ford got caught in the turf and sent his car barrel-rolling down the frontstretch before ending up on its roof. The race was immediately red flagged. Safety personnel got the car turned on its side and Buescher was able to get out under his own power.

Once the race returned to caution, a handful of cars decided to pit but Chastain was among those who stayed out. When the race resumed on Lap 353, Chastain was followed by Larson, Custer, Briscoe and Austin Dillon.

Larson got around Chastain on Lap 354 to take the lead just the second time in the race.

With 25 laps remaining, Briscoe began closing in on Larson and started to challenge him for the lead.

With four laps to go, Biscoe got side-by-side with Larson off Turn 2 but ended up spinning out to bring out a caution and send the race into a two-lap overtime.

The lead-lap cars all pit with Larson the first off pit road with a two-tire pit stop. Heading into overtime, Larson was followed by Chastain, Joey Logano and Stenhouse. Hamlin, in fifth, was the first car with four new tires.

The field went four-wide off Turn 4 as Austin Dillon charged to challenge Larson for the lead. The two drifted up the track and triggered a multi-car wreck to bring out the caution and send the race into a second overtime.

Hamlin escaped with the lead, followed by Chastain, Kyle Busch, Harvick and Stenhouse.

Stage 3

Chastain cruised to the Stage 3 win by 2.2 seconds over Briscoe, his third stage victory of the 2022 season.

Larson was third, Reddick fourth and Suarez rounded out the top-five.

Following the break between Stages 2 and 3, most of the lead-lap cars pit with Suarez the first off pit road. Larson was penalized for an uncontrolled tire and had to restart from the rear again.

When the race resumed on Lap 209, Logano – who stayed out – led the way followed by Martin Truex Jr., Bell and Kyle Busch. Suarez lined up sixth.

On new tires, Suarez went around Logano and reclaimed the lead on Lap 214.

Harvick hit the wall in Turn 2 on Lap 220 after close racing with Stenhouse to bring out the 12th caution of the race. Several drivers pit but Chastain stayed out and in the lead.

The race resumed on Lap 225 with Chastain followed by Logano, Kyle Busch and Briscoe.

Suarez finally ran down his teammate, Chastain, on Lap 252, went to his inside and reclaimed the lead.

On Lap 254, Noah Gragson spun off Turn 4, which produced the 13th caution of the race. The lead-lap cars all pit with Chastain the first off pit road.

When the race resumed on Lap 259, Chastain was followed by Briscoe, Reddick and Buescher.

Briscoe and Chastain traded the lead after the restart with Chastain finally clearing on Lap 261.

Bell got into the wall after contact with Stenhouse and was forced to pit under green on Lap 272 for a flat tire. He returned to the race in 24th and two laps down.

With 20 laps remaining in the stage, Chastain maintained about a second lead over Briscoe as Larson ran third.

On Lap 292, Kyle Busch was forced to pit under green after tagging the wall off Turn 4.

Stage 2

Suarez passed Chastain on a restart with three laps remaining and held on for the Stage 2 win, his second stage victory of 2022 season.

Erik Jones finished third, Briscoe fourth and Stenhouse rounded out the top-five.

Following the break between Stages 1 and 2, all the lead-lap cars pit with Chase Elliott the first off pit road. The race returned to green on Lap 108 with Elliott out front followed by Bell, Bubba Wallace and Chastain.

Chastain went to the inside of Elliott in Turn 3 on Lap 111 and came away with the lead for the first time in the race.

On Lap 126, Wallace spun off Turn 4 to bring out a caution. Wallace spun, slid on the asphalt and ended up right in his pit box.

All lead-lap cars pit with Elliott once again the first off pit road. There was a brief fire in Larson’s pit box but he drove away without incident.

On the restart on Lap 132, Elliott was followed by Chastain, Ryan Blaney, Hamlin and Truex.

Austin Cindric had a left-rear tire go down, spun and wrecked in Turn 3 to bring out the seventh caution of the race.

Most led-lap cars pit but Blaney stayed out and inherited the lead. Elliott was the first off pit road among those who pit. Stenhouse was penalized for speeding on pit road and had to restart from the rear of the field while Truex started from the rear for a crew member over the wall too soon.

On the restart on Lap 152, Blaney was followed by Larson (who also stayed out), Elliott and Chastain.

Elliott, on new tires, quickly powered back to the lead after the restart.

Larson, on older tires and running 10th, spun off Turn 4 on Lap 166 which placed the race back under caution. Larson was also penalized again for equipment interference during his pit stop and had to restart from the rear of the field.

Several drivers pit but Elliott remained on the track and in the lead when the race returned to green on Lap 171.

Chastain quickly powered to the lead on the restart as Suarez moved into second.

Elliott tagged the wall on Lap 187 and spun off Turn 4 to bring a caution, the ninth of the race. Several drivers pit but Chastain stayed out and remained in the lead on the restart on Lap 192.

In Turn 2 on the restart, Blaney dipped onto the apron and shot back up the track and triggered a 12-car wreck that collected Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Hamlin, Wallace, Gragson, Truex and William Byron, among others.

The race restarted with four laps to go and Chastain still in the lead.

Stage 1

Elliott held off a late charge by Reddick to earn the win a very eventful Stage 1.

Bell was third, Chastain fourth and Wallace rounded out the top-five.

Hamlin started on the pole but Kurt Busch nipped him at the line to lead the first two laps before Hamlin cleared him cleanly to move out front on Lap 3.

Kyle Busch got around Hamlin on Lap 10 to take the lead for the first time.

On Lap 18, Ryan Preece spun through Turn 4 and Buescher did the same thing right behind him and two ran into each other to bring out a caution. Gragson also spun in the incident but didn’t hit anything.

All the lead-lap cars pit with Kyle Busch the first off pit road. Both Blaney and Truex were penalized for speeding on pit road and both had to restart from the rear of the field.

When the race resumed on Lap 23, Kyle Busch led the way followed by Byron, Reddick and Hamlin.

Josh Bilicki wrecked off Turn 4 on Lap 33 which placed the race under caution. Most of the drivers elected to pit under the caution but Kyle Busch and a few others stayed out. Hamlin was the first off pit road.

Larson had to restart from the rear of the field for removing equipment from his pit box during his stop.

On the restart on Lap 39, Kyle Busch led the way, followed by Wallace, Bell and Briscoe. Hamlin lined up sixth.

Wallace caught Kyle Busch to lead Lap 40 only to see Kyle Busch get back around him on Lap 41.

On Lap 46, Suarez – on newer tires – got to the inside of Kyle Busch and moved up in front of him to take the lead. Almost immediately, Busch spun out off Turn 2 to bring out a caution.

The race returned to green on Lap 51 with Suarez in the lead. He was followed by Hamlin, Bowman and Byron.

Corey LaJoie spun off Turn 2 with a tire down on Lap 61 and slammed into the wall to bring out the fourth caution of the race.

All the lead-lap cars pit with Elliott the first off pit road. Kyle Busch received the free pass and returned to the lead lap. Both Larson and Justin Haley were penalized for equipment interference and had to restart from the rear of the field.

The race resumed on Lap 68 with Elliott out front followed by Byron, Bowman and Suarez.

With 10 laps remaining in the stage, Elliott held a half-second lead over Reddick as Byron ran third.

Six cars had to start the race from the rear of the field – Corey LaJoie for a backup car and Larson, Aric Almirola, Custer, Stenhouse and Kaz Grala all for unapproved adjustments.