In one of the most chaotic short track races in modern NASCAR Cup
Series® history, Denny Hamlin played the tire conservation game
masterfully at Bristol Motor Speedway to earn his first points-paying
victory of the 2024 season.
Hamlin, with his Express Oil
Change No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE, used his veteran prowess to manage his
tires better than the rest to score the victory. The race saw a record
54 lead changes, thanks in large part to accelerated tire wear forcing
strategies to vary throughout the 500-lap race. But, with his years of
NASCAR CupSeries® experience and his proficiency in conserving tires
around short tracks in his early-career Late Model days, Hamlin was able
to take the lead from a Joe GibbsRacing teammate with 17 laps remaining
and cruised to his 52nd career victory.