Take 5: Talladega hurts playoff contenders, helps unexpected drivers

The NASCAR Cup Series ran an eventful Round of 12 race Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway that ended with an overtime photo finish. Denny Hamlin came out of practically nowhere to steal the lead and beat Matt DiBenedetto to the finish line by .023 seconds. Hamlin joins Kurt Busch as the two NASCAR Playoffs drivers locked into the Round of 8. Four drivers will be eliminated Sunday after the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval event (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Read on for five takeaways from the 2.66-mile Alabama track.

11 WITH 44: Hamlin now has 44 career wins in the NASCAR Cup Series over the course of 537 starts and counting. That ties him with NASCAR Hall of Fame member Bill Elliott for 18th on the all-time wins list. Elliott had 828 career starts. The tie is fitting since Hamlin's desire to drive the No. 11 entry actually came from Elliott.

"A lot of it is when I got into go-kart racing when I was a kid," Hamlin said. "Bill Elliott was running the Junior Johnson No. 11. I've always been No. 11, purple and white 11. Crazy it all worked out that way. Tying a guy that I considered the best, a guy I idolized, it's very surreal for me."

DEJA VU: This should sound familiar. Matt DiBenedetto was well on his way to scoring his first career win but fell short by less than a second to Hamlin. Last year, that happened at Bristol Motor Speedway. This year, Talladega happened to be the venue. Also, DiBenedetto didn't then and doesn't now have future ride plans secured. Adding to the disappointment, he received a penalty for shoving William Byron below the yellow line on the final lap, replacing his initial runner-up result with 21st place.

"I feel like this is the same story a lot of times, just heartbreak," DiBenedetto said. "My wife and I have had a stressful week again just with the uncertainty. Always fighting for my life. But I'm so appreciative of the (Wood Brothers Racing) team."

PLAYOFF DRAMA: Out of the 12 NASCAR Playoffs drivers, Hamlin and Chase Elliott (fifth) were the only two to place in the top 10. The third-best finisher was Austin Dillon in 12th. The worst was Aric Almirola in 37th out of 39. Seven of the 12 remaining postseason contenders got caught up in a wreck. Only half of the playoff eligible drivers were on the lead lap come checkered flag.

"We wrecked every car in the field, and I wrecked four times in somebody else's mess," said Brad Keselowski, who finished 18th. "... But we made it through somewhat OK, I guess. We finished 18th and scored a lot of stage points, got a decent points cushion going into the Roval. That's gonna be a madhouse because there are a lot of cars next week that are going to need a big race."

NICE WORK: Six drivers pulled off career-best showings Sunday. Ty Dillon finished third for the first time. Rookie John Hunter Nemechek came in eighth, which matched his personal best. Brennan Poole topped out at ninth. Quin Houff (13th), Joey Gase (17th) and Cody Ware (19th) also notched new highs.

"Any time we can take a chance when the field is equalized to prove ourselves, I feel like I want to make the most of it," Dillon said. "Today was one of those chances. When you finish these races enough, it's not just by luck."

STILL 2020: Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch exits Alabama below the Round of 12 cutline. He's ninth and 21 points out. This comes after an eventful day for the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team. Busch's Toyota was involved in a wreck on Lap 57 but continued on only to get caught up in another crash on Lap 108 that ultimately took him out of contention. He was recorded 27th on the final results.

"The car was just real slow due to all of the damage, obviously, so I'm just holding up the line," Busch said. "I was trying to draft off the guys in front of me and I'm pushing too much backwards on the guys that are trying to push me forwards, and it creates a wreck. Oh well. The M&M's Camry guys did a great job and just wish there was more for it. I just hate it when I'm right."