Denny Hamlin commenced the 2025 Daytona 500 from the P8 position but found himself finishing P24, a stark contrast to the victory that seemed within reach before a misjudged maneuver by Cole Custer. Custer, who Hamlin did not block, shifted down the track after being left three-wide, colliding with Briscoe and forcefully impacting Hamlin’s car, thereby ensnaring most of the race leaders. Hamlin had seemingly anticipated similar tactics from Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Joey Logano as well.
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Reflecting on both the incidents where Stenhouse Jr. opted not to yield a spot to Logano, while the #11 driver did to Custer, Hamlin remarked, “It’s okay! We can be three wide..” He referenced last year’s race in Atlanta to underline his point: “That’s why we had a fantastic finish at Atlanta. Everyone’s making such a big deal about Atlanta three wide Racing… Did those guys touch each other no?”
Hamlin reflected on how Kyle Busch, Daniel Suarez, and Ryan Blaney vied for the lead, resulting in a close finish that captivated the fans. Yet, the #11 driver expressed skepticism about witnessing such outcomes at Daytona, stating, “I just don’t think we’re ever going to see that in Daytona again because the drivers just lose their minds and they just don’t understand that.”
During last year’s race at Atlanta, as the trio hurtled through the final two corners, Suarez maintained the outside lane, with Blaney hugging the inside and Busch wedged between them. In a close dash to the finish, Suarez edged ahead to claim his second career victory — and his first since June 2022 at Sonoma Raceway.
Conversely, at the Daytona 500, the #47 driver resisted the idea of going three-wide, leading to a series of maneuvers that ultimately resulted in several drivers being spun out of the competition.
Hamlin comments on Logano and Stenhouse’s skirmish
Hamlin opined that a three-wide racing could have provided fans with an exciting racing experience. He criticized both Logano and Stenhouse Jr. for their aggressive driving, which precipitated a collision that also collected Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson. He remarked,
“This goes for the #47 and #22… Like what are you doing? It’s 15 to go. I don’t understand, and I was watching these guys. That wreck happened five laps beforehand. I saw these guys weaving back and forth, cutting off lines… And it’s like what do you think is going to happen? You’re going to get wrecked every time like that. It’s the drivers — we’re the ones making these horrible decisions.”
Interestingly, this year, all eight drivers in the first four rows at the commencement of a white flag restart — triggered by a two-lap overtime — were caught in an incident during the final 2.5 miles of the race. The chaos ultimately paved the way for William Byron, who had started in fifth position, to win the race.
