Denny Hamlin wins second stage at Talladega

Kevin Harvick, Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Larson, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Erik Jones and Jamie McMurray all scored points in the segment.

Ty Dillon, Trevor Bayne, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, pitted prior to going green.

Hamlin led the field to the restart on Lap 62 followed by Truex, Kyle Busch, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Logano, Menard, Keselowski, Blaney, Jones, Elliott, Kurt Busch, McMurray, Jimmie Johnson and Earnhardt.

Kyle Busch took the lead from his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate on Lap 81. Hamlin remained second followed by McMurray Truex, Kurt Busch, Logano, Johnson, Elliott, Larson and Keselowski.

Reed Sorenson radioed to his crew he had a vibration on Lap 80, then blew a tire just after crossing the start-finish line two laps later to ignite the third caution of the Geico 500.

Bayne, Newman, David Ragan and Ty Dillon remained on the track while Kyle Busch led the field into the pits followed by McMurray, Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Truex, Johnson, Larson, Logano and Kasey Kahne. Matt Kenseth, who went a lap down with a pit road penalty and a flat tire, received the lucky dog and returned to the lead lap.

Busch restarted fifth on Lap 86 followed by Truex, Bowyer, Logano, Kurt Busch, McMurray, Suarez, Almirola, Hamlin, Larson, Elliott, Stenhouse, Blaney, Earnhardt, Patrick and Johnson.

Newman took the lead on Lap 89, Bowyer one lap later. Hamlin returned to the point on Lap 95 followed by Bowyer, Bayne, Logano, Earnhardt, Ty Dillon, Menard, Kurt Busch, Newman, McMurray, Harvick and Truex.

With 10 laps remaining in the stage, Hamlin retained the lead followed by Harvick, Johnson, Earnhardt, Kahne, Jones, Bowyer, Logano, Truex and Kurt Busch.

“I’m just trying to manage risk,” Hamlin said after the stage. “Statistics show you don’t want to be 7th through 18th, that’s where the wrecks start. So I backed out…and it worked out for us.”