From Control to Chaos: The Overtime Twist at Darlington

^{Apr 07, 2025 | Edition #160}

👋 Dear Motorheads,

As expected, Darlington lived up to its 'Track Too Tough to Tame' moniker, with bold emotions over the team radios, multiple contacts through that treacherous Turn, and heartbreaking DNFs. But through all the chaos and drama, one driver stood tall—Denny Hamlin, who once again found his way to Victory Lane.

What a day for Denny! With this win, he's quickly becoming one of the strongest contenders for the title. But, we don’t want to jinx anything for the No. 11. We’d rather keep a close eye on him to the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway.

 🏁 Sunday’s Race Report

Hamlin's Red-Hot Streak Continues

🏆 Denny Hamlin’s commanding victory marked his first back-to-back Cup Series triumph since 2012.

🤏 William Byron, who dominated the race by leading both stages, ultimately had to settle for a P2 finish after an intense overtime finish.

🫤 Christopher Bell rounded out the podium in third. With consecutive top-five finishes, he now sits third in the overall standings.

📊 Other Notable stats from the weekend

• William Byron led the first 243 laps at the 2025 Goodyear 400, the most by any driver in the Cup Series since Jeff Gordon at New Hampshire in September 2000.

• The 2025 Goodyear 400 was the 11th win for Joe Gibbs at Darlington.

• Joe Gibbs Racing has secured its fifth win in the opening eight races of the 2025 season (now that’s a stat).

Coming back to the race, the stage was set for Denny. After breaking his 31-race winless streak at Martinsville, he was looking forward to carrying on that momentum. But It was Byron who was dominating the grid!

The HMS driver looked set to cruise to victory, leading a dominant 243 laps. And, with just four to go, his teammate Kyle Larson spun out, again in the same Turn 4, bringing out a late caution. And, as the field bunched up, Denny and his crew seized the moment.

If you don’t know, the No. 11 team nailed the fastest pit stop of the day—just 9.42 seconds—catapulting Hamlin into the lead. Choosing the outside lane on the restart, Denny took off and never looked back, fending off Byron and Bell in overtime to steal a stunning victory. This was indeed the pit crew’s win. But that three wide into Turn 3 was crazy. But Denny was long gone after the white flag. Look at that quick teamwork from the No. 11 team.

It was a pure strategy and timing for the No. 11! And, must say a well-deserved win for Hamlin. However, joking after the race, Denny even said, “I have two people I really love right now—my pit crew and Kyle Larson.”

As for Byron, it just wasn’t meant to be. After dominating the first two stages and leading lap after lap, the HMS driver couldn’t capitalize on the final restart. He gave it everything he had in the last two laps, scrambling to close the gap on Hamlin, but the win slipped away.

And when Hamlin climbed out of his No. 11 Toyota, the boos as usual were loud and clear. But the veteran didn’t flinch this time, he rather seemed to feed off the noise, soaking in the moment. Watch his pit-crew responding to the boos.

Denny is bold and strong. It seems like that’s what Michael Jordan and he have in common. Because before the race at Darlington, Jordan spoke to a FOX journalist, where he said, the boos make Denny better, and “If you boo me, that makes me better." Clearly, despite the lawsuit, MJ sounded confident (sort of had a Hamlin aura to him), and it looks like he also predicted the win. Hear him out.

And, the proof is in the results, as Hamlin secured his 56th career victory, his fifth triumph at Darlington, the most of any current driver in the Cup Series. And, you never know, this could finally be the JGR driver’s year. But let’s not jinx it.

Continue Reading: Denny Hamlin Exposes NASCAR’s Biggest Lie on Next-Gen Cars

📈 Trending News

Wood Brothers Racing Was Robbed

Folks, Josh Berry had his eyes on the prize. Despite qualifying for the 2025 Goodyear 400 in 24th place, Berry was confident about his chances. And, why not, he’s racing for the oldest team in NASCAR, currently celebrating its 75th anniversary. And, with a playoff spot all but assured, Berry more than ever wanted to climb up the standings.

He was having a good day, finishing fifth by the end of Stage 2. Just when Josh Berry looked set to mount a late charge for his second win of the season, he wrecked! Everything changed on Lap 195. Running less than a second behind race leader Byron, Berry was within striking distance of the top 3. But then came Tyler Reddick. The No. 45 nudged Berry up the track and into the Turn 2 wall, sending the No. 21 spinning in a cloud of smoke. That was pure heartbreak in motion. Watch how Berry’s car was towed off the track.

Not just back to the garage, but it was a gut-wrenching end to what could’ve been a breakthrough day. However, despite the disappointing outcome, the Wood Brothers Racing driver appeared to be in good spirits. “Good job, guys. Another good car,” he said, maintaining his composure post race.

Further, describing what went wrong according to him, he said, “I’d gotten a little checked up and lost some momentum behind Joey, and Tyler got underneath me there.” Now that’s done and dusted. And Berry isn’t still letting the setback bring him down.

He is confident and still looking to make it a big year for the team. “Our cars are fast. We’re not going anywhere. We’re going to run up front,” Berry added. And, with 28 races to go, we’d like to see the No. 24 team climb up that ladder and make it a special 75 for WBR.

Continue Reading: NASCAR Crew Chief Lets Slip Biggest Worry Behind Cup Series Surge

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Poll 🏁

🌪️ Cause for Controversy

Riley Herbst and Hocevar Again Create a Ruckus

Of course, they don’t call it ‘The Track Too Tough to Tame’ for nothing; Darlington never disappoints. Just ask Carson Hocevar and Riley Herbst, who got a rough taste of that nickname at the 2025 Goodyear 400.

As Stage 1 neared its end, chaos unfolded. Hocevar was caught in yet another wreck. However, this one felt, a little out of nowhere, both front tires went flat, sending him limping to the garage yet again. And, Hocevar wasn’t alone.

Riley Herbst was right there, almost contacted, but spared by a millisecond. Caution was out, and as Riley and Carson scrambled to hold position, things unraveled fast. While Herbst just carried on like it was nothing, driving headfirst into Hocevar’s vehicle, the latter was sent to the garage. It was literally out of nowhere. Watch the clip from the race.

But Hocevar was frustrated. He was heard saying, “I’m destroyed. No steering.” Meanwhile, Riley Herbst’s spotter was infuriated by the Spire Motorsports driver’s risky move, and said, “Oh God da—mit, he's a mo—on!"

And, the frustration is genuine. This wasn’t the only contact for Herbst. It all started with Lap 80, as Herbst had contact with Ty Gibbs at Turn 1. Then he messed up with William Byron in lapped traffic. But as per Ty and Byron, it was Herbst’s fault. The JGR driver even abused Herbst. Here’s what he said on the team radio.

Well, maybe he was at fault in Turn 1, but with Hocevar, Herbst was equally shocked. “Dude, I don't know what happened. ... I didn't do anything wrong there, did I? I was just running the top," he said.

We know Hocevar! Fans are already calling him NASCAR’s next villain. While he’s taking the blame this time, he was well warned by his spotter. However, in the heat of the moment, the youngster moved up anyway.

And, Darlington is a track where you test your limits, but don’t overstep boundaries. We saw aggressive paying prices; whatever went down with Kyle Larson and Carson Hocevar. While this is done and dusted, it’ll be interesting to see how Hocevar acts in Bristol next weekend.

Continue Reading: Bubba Wallace Freed of Darlington Allegations as Kyle Larson Publicly Concedes Embarrassing Mistake

 🎥 Sunday's Top Highlight

Larson's Bad Luck Strikes Again at Darlington!

For the second year in a row, he crashes in the iconic Terry Labonte throwback car—first on Lap 4, then in with four laps remaining. This wreck forced the NASCAR Overtime, and turned the day around for Byron and got Hamlin a win!

See, how it all unfolded.

🗣️ Talk of the NASCAR Town

Ron Hornaday Jr. Calls Out NASCAR’s Young Drivers

Ron Hornaday Jr. isn’t just a four-time Truck Series champion, he’s a symbol of NASCAR’s true old-school grit. The kind of racer who didn’t just drive his trucks, he built them, tuned them, and pushed them to the edge with his own hands. That hands-on approach earned him respect in the garage and a special place in the hearts of fans.

But times have changed. And Hornaday’s looking around the sport today, especially after the chaos involving last week’s and this week. Yes, this is about what happened between Taylor Gray-Sammy Smith as well as Ty Gibbs, Riley Herbst, and Carson Hocevar.

And, Hornaday isn’t critiquing a wreck. He’s raising a big red flag, calling out the entire system. Saying, “Youngsters don’t appreciate the hard work.” 

And, he isn’t just sharing a critique. Hornaday Jr was present at Darlington for the race weekend. Not just that he also spoke to some journalists. While he started with how his grandson surprised him with his “little” knowledge of wrecking, he went on to share bold take on Taylor Gray. And that involved Dale as well.

“I have too much respect for [JRM] to start wrecking their cars just to prove a point. If Sammy owned and worked on his own car, then I would probably be telling you a different story." And, Hornaday meant it from his heart. Watch for yourself, as Hornaday gets emotional as he speaks.

He speaks of a time when legends like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt set the bar—not just with raw talent, but with tireless dedication, mechanical know-how, and a respect for every bolt that held a car together.

To Hornaday, that’s what built the backbone of NASCAR. And if today’s rising stars don’t embrace that same fire, he wonders if the sport risks losing part of its soul. And, to help in the development of the next generation of drivers, Hornaday Jr. and his daughter Candice started the Hornaday Development in 2022.

While his concerns are real, the program is also designed to teach young drivers old-school sports values, such as discipline, hard work, and respect, apart from driving fast. And, you’d be surprised to see these kids know their cars well. It feels like the old NASCAR is on its way back! Have a look at these pictures.

What the father-daughter duo is building is what’s somewhat needed for the sport to live forever. And, they are confident. “You got to come down here and live with us for a month,” he said. He knows what he’s doing. As for him, racing isn’t something you do, it’s something you earn. And these are lessons he wants the younger generation to understand and appreciate.

Continue Reading: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Xfinity Star Holds His Head High After Gut-Wrenching Miss in Darlington

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5. Zane Smith’s Wife Applauds His Gritty NASCAR Comeback After Darlington - Full Story

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