Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

RELATED: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s complete history at Richmond Raceway

For his final full-time season as a driver, NASCAR.com will offer an analytical preview on Dale Earnhardt Jr. ahead of every remaining Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.

Race: Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway

Date: Saturday, Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Previous five results at Richmond: 30th, 13th, fifth, 14th, 12th

RELATED: All of Earnhardt’s Monster Energy Series wins

Notable: Richmond Raceway has been very good to Earnhardt over the years. Earnhardt’s first race at the .75-mile Virginia oval was on Sept. 11, 1999, one of five Monster Energy Series races he competed in prior to his full-time rookie season in 2000. Earnhardt started 21st and finished an impressive 10th. In 35 races at Richmond, Earnhardt has three victories, 10 top fives and 14 top-10 finishes with an average finish of 13.7. His last win at the track came in May 2006.

Memorable: Earnhardt had a night he will never forget at Richmond on May 6, 2000. Just four races after his first career Monster Energy Series victory in April at Texas Motor Speedway, Earnhardt gradually made his way to the front in his iconic No. 8 Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Chevrolet. Earnhardt would pass his father and car owner — the late seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt Sr. — for the lead with 31 laps remaining and never looked back.

RELATED: Travis Mack to fill in for suspended Ives as No. 88 crew chief

Quotable: “Richmond is a track that I’ve had a lot of success at, though not so much recently,” said Earnhardt. “It’s really hard to get a hold of and hard to figure out exactly what line we’re running and where you need to put your car to get it to work. It’s been a bit of a challenge for us over the last couple of trips, but it should still be a fun race.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series

Full standings

Already clinched: Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Blaney, Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Austin Dillon.

Richmond scenarios: The only way a driver can clinch a playoff spot is with a win and a top 30 spot locked up. Drivers from David Ragan (29th in points) and higher have already locked up a top 30 spot and would automatically clinch a spot with a win. 

Clinching for Next Race (sorted by Wins, then Points) at Richmond:

Possible to Clinch:

  • Chase Elliott (0 Wins, 737 Points, +463 Points Ahead of 31st) – Would clinch on points with 53 Points and a new winner.  If there is a repeat winner, they would clinch on points, regardless of finish.  With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Matt Kenseth (0 Wins, 735 Points, +461 Points Ahead of 31st) – If there is a repeat winner, they would clinch on points, regardless of finish.  With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.  Could clinch on points with a new winner and help.
  • Jamie McMurray (0 Wins, 734 Points, +460 Points Ahead of 31st) – If there is a repeat winner, they would clinch on points, regardless of finish.  With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.  Could clinch on points with a new winner and help.
  • Clint Bowyer (0 Wins, 643 Points, +369 Points Ahead of 31st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Erik Jones (0 Wins, 611 Points, +337 Points Ahead of 31st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Joey Logano (1 Win (encumbered), 605 Points, +331 Points Ahead of 31st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Daniel Suarez (0 Wins, 538 Points, +264 Points Ahead of 31st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Trevor Bayne (0 Wins, 472 Points, +198 Points Ahead of 31st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. (0 Wins, 431 Points, +157 Points Ahead of 31st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Paul Menard (0 Wins, 429 Points, +155 Points Ahead of 31st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Ty Dillon (0 Wins, 419 Points, +145 Points Ahead of 31st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Chris Buescher (0 Wins, 407 Points, +133 Points Ahead of 31st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Michael McDowell (0 Wins, 396 Points, +122 Points Ahead of 31st) – Has already Clinched a Top 30 spot.  With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • AJ Allmendinger (0 Wins, 384 Points, +110 Points Ahead of 31st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Danica Patrick (0 Wins, 363 Points, +89 Points Ahead of 31st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • David Ragan (0 Wins, 315 Points, +41 Points Ahead of 31st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Aric Almirola (0 Wins, 285 Points, +11 Points Ahead of 31st) – Could Clinch a Top 30 spot on their own with 44 Points.  With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins, assuming they have clinched a Top 30 spot.
  • Matt DiBenedetto  (0 Wins, 274 Points, 11 Points Behind of 30th) – Could Clinch a Top 30 spot with help.  With a win, they could clinch a Playoff spot on wins if they get help with clinching a Top 30 spot.
  • Landon Cassill (0 Wins, 257 Points, 28 Points Behind of 30th) – Could Clinch a Top 30 spot with help.  With a win, they could clinch a Playoff spot on wins if they get help with clinching a Top 30 spot.
  • Cole Whitt (0 Wins, 255 Points, 30 Points Behind of 30th) – Could Clinch a Top 30 spot with help.  With a win, they could clinch a Playoff spot on wins if they get help with clinching a Top 30 spot.

NASCAR XFINITY Series

Full standings

Already clinched: William Byron, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Reed, Elliott Sadler, Brennan Poole, Daniel Hemric.

Clinching for Next Race (sorted by Wins, then Points) at Richmond:

Possible to Clinch:

  • Jeremy Clements (1 Win, 375 Points, +101 Points Ahead of 21st) – Could Clinch a Top 20 spot on their own with 17 Points.  Would clinch on wins if they can clinch a spot in the Top 20.
  • Cole Custer (0 Wins, 590 Points, +316 Points Ahead of 21st) – Would clinch on points with 11 Points and a new winner.  If there is a repeat winner, they would clinch on points with 8 Points.  With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Matt Tifft (0 Wins, 558 Points, +284 Points Ahead of 21st) – Would clinch on points with 43 Points and a new winner.  If there is a repeat winner, they would clinch on points with 40 Points.  With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Blake Koch (0 Wins, 511 Points, +237 Points Ahead of 21st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.  Could clinch on points with help.
  • Michael Annett (0 Wins, 490 Points, +216 Points Ahead of 21st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.  Could clinch on points with a repeat winner and help.
  • Brendan Gaughan (0 Wins, 487 Points, +213 Points Ahead\of 21st) -With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Dakoda Armstrong (0 Wins, 467 Points, +193 Points Ahead of 21st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Ross Chastain (0 Wins, 432 Points, +158 Points Ahead of 21st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • JJ Yeley (0 Wins, 429 Points, +155 Points Ahead of 21st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Ryan Sieg (0 Wins, 413 Points, +139 Points Ahead of 21st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.
  • Brandon Jones (0 Wins, 388 Points, +114 Points Ahead of 21st) – With a win, they would clinch a Playoff spot on wins.

Impossible to Clinch:

  • Joey Gase (0 Wins, 274 Points, 13 Points Behind of 20th) – Even with a win, they would not clinch a Top 20 spot, so they cannot clinch a Playoff berth in the next race.  If they can’t clinch a Top 20 with a win, no driver below them in the standings could clinch either.
Posted on by Team Release

CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 5, 2017) – Hendrick Motorsports drivers Kasey Kahne, Chase Elliott, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have launched a disaster relief fund with the goal of raising $500,000 in two weeks to support hurricane victims.

The four NASCAR Cup Series drivers and the Hendrick Motorsports organization have committed a combined $200,000 to establish the fund and are now encouraging the public to join the effort by making a donation before midnight ET on Wednesday, Sept. 20. Tax-deductible contributions can be made by visiting HendrickRelief.org.

All donations to the campaign will benefit qualified charitable organizations supporting disaster relief efforts, including the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, which is housed at the Greater Houston Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity.

“The devastation caused by Harvey is incomprehensible,” said seven-time Cup Series champion Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. “NASCAR fans are some of the most generous and giving people on earth. With another hurricane (Irma) potentially on the way, we encourage everyone to consider joining us (with a contribution). Over the next two weeks, we want to raise as much as we can to help as many people as we can.”

The disaster relief fund is hosted by the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: What we learned from Darlington | Playoff watch

Going down in NASCAR history as a multi-time Southern 500 winner is impressive enough. Winning that second Darlington trophy on the way to your first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season title? Now that’s something Denny Hamlin is absolutely up for. And clearly on the right track for.

His win at Darlington not only earns him the historic race hardware, but it also gives the No. 11 FedEx Toyota driver major cred as a championship contender. Even before the totally rad trophy hoist in the sport’s favorite “throwback” weekend, Hamlin has been putting up the numbers and making a strong case to be “that guy,” an absolute championship favorite as NASCAR prepares to close up the regular season Saturday in Richmond.

Hamlin’s victory Sunday was his second win and eighth top-five in the last 11 races — tops in the series during that stretch, even better than points leader Martin Truex Jr.

Hamlin’s 31 career victories make him the winningest active Cup driver (31) without a championship. It’s a designation he’s ready to change up Nov. 19 — a day after his 37th birthday.

“I mean, we’ve been at this point before where we’ve had wins going into the playoffs,” Hamlin said Sunday. “You know, luck has kept us from championships in the past, and mistakes have kept us from championships in the past. Not many times has it been performance. 

“I think you’ve just got to put those two things together and prepare for anything that can get thrown to you and I know Coach is all about having a game plan, and it’s something I’ve really worked hard on this year is studying notes and coming up with a game plan when I get to the racetrack of how I’m going to approach things, and I think that it’s paying off, and hopefully it pays off 11 races from now.”

In 2006, Hamlin became the first rookie to qualify for NASCAR’s playoffs. He has won a race in every one of his 12 full-time Monster Energy Series seasons and qualified for the playoff push in all but one of those years (2013).

The closest Hamlin has come to celebrating the championship is runner-up to Jimmie Johnson in 2010 — a near-miss that understandably bothered him. He had a series best eight wins and led Johnson by 15 points entering the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but lost the title by 39 points after an accident with Greg Biffle early in the race.

To his credit, Hamlin has won at seven of the 10 tracks in the playoffs, including a pair of victories at Homestead (2009, 2013) where the champion will be crowned.

Hamlin also has three wins at the site of this week’s event, the season finale at his hometown Richmond Raceway. A victory would not only cap off a fine season regular season wrap but it would serve as a starting point for Hamlin’s playoff push.

Posted on by Team Release

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Germain Racing’s 10-year relationship with GEICO kicked off in 2008 and the Mooresville, N.C.-based team is proud to announce that the GEICO logo and legendary Gecko will continue to appear for years to come on the No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet, driven by Ty Dillon in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. In addition to its sponsorship of Germain Racing, GEICO continues to have an expansive presence within NASCAR, including the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, the popular GEICO campgrounds, a large midway display at various racetracks, as well as the newest component, the GEICO Restart Zone, all of which are complemented by a sizeable multilevel media platform.

“Being able to partner with GEICO all these years has been a source of great pride for our race team and for me personally. They’re an incredible company and they support our sport in so many different ways. We’re very fortunate to be the team that gets to represent GEICO on the race track. I appreciate their support and I look forward to working with them in the years to come,” says team owner, Bob Germain, Jr. “Ty Dillon has given us some very exciting races in his rookie season. We have extended Ty’s contract, and look forward to crew chief Bootie Barker and Ty leading the team to more success. They will be supported by all of the same great team members who have helped build Germain Racing.”

In addition to GEICO, Germain Racing has been successful in building many successful sponsor relationships that have spanned multiple years, such as Caymus Vineyards, WIX Filters, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes and ZAK Products. In 2017, the organization and its driver kicked off a multi-year agreement with Twisted Tea that has seen the drink company experience a demonstrated increase in sales with their specially branded ‘No. 13’ packaging.

“GEICO is an amazing sponsorship partner and a great supporter of NASCAR as a whole. I love having the chance to represent them and be a part of their widespread footprint in the sport, along with their long-standing relationship with Germain Racing. We’ve experienced success together during my rookie season and I’m excited for what the future holds for our No. 13 GEICO team,” says driver Ty Dillon, a 2017 Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender.

Germain Racing will continue its technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing (RCR), one of the most prestigious organizations in NASCAR. The partnership with RCR, as well as the power of ECR Engines, provides the single-car team with the opportunity to experience continued growth as they race side-by-side each week with NASCAR’s top teams.

Posted on by Steve Luvender

RELATED: What we learned from Darlington | Fake texts to Denny Hamlin

NASCAR’s throwback weekend — what’s not to like? We’ve got a tough, historic track, a long Labor Day weekend, teams paying homage to racing history, Ryan Blaney growing a mustache…

Well, let’s just look at what was tubular and what was hellacious. I think I’m using those words correctly.

Thumbs Up: That Jones Boy

Legendary announcer Ken Squier took over lead commentary duties for a brief period during Stage 2 at Darlington, leaving viewers with memorable quotes — including referring to Erik Jones as simply “that Jones boy” multiple times.

As it turns out, that Jones boy was awfully competitive for the third week in a row, finishing in fifth position. Jones was the first rookie to score a top-five finish at Darlington since Kasey Kahne finished fifth in 2004. Coincidentally, Jones’ No. 77 throwback paint scheme honored NASCAR’s top rookies over the years. Perhaps that Jones Boy will find himself on such a paint scheme someday when we’re racing laser beam-shooting space robot cars in 2050.

Thumbs up to that Jones boy for earning three consecutive top-five finishes.

(A bonus thumbs-up for Jones’ retro mullet — that’s a throwback thing, right? Please say yes.)

Thumbs Down: Missing Pit Road

There must be nothing more frustrating than looking like you’re going to win the race, only to make a driver error during crunch time. Think about it — all the preparation of building a fast race car, then racing nearly 500 miles at one of the toughest tracks in NASCAR without any major problems, until you miss pit road on the final stop of the race, costing tons of unnecessary time.  

WATCH:

https://www.nascar.com/video/franchise/monster-energy-nascar-cup-highlights/videofranchisemonster-energy-nascar-cup-highlightshamlin-makes-costly-pit-road-error-to-lose-lead/#1

Surely, Denny Hamlin’s simple misjudgment made his heart sink.

Thumbs down for missing pit road when everything’s on the line — right?

Thumbs Up: …Making up for Missing Pit Road

Of course, Hamlin’s pit road miscue wasn’t enough for the No. 11 team to call it a night. Hamlin drove his wheels off (no, not referring to his crew chief Mike Wheeler — and, no, not in the way things went for Martin Truex Jr. before Hamlin passed him) to recover from his mistake and win the Bojangles’ Southern 500 for the second time in his career.

WATCH:

https://www.nascar.com/video/franchise/exhilarating-moments-of-the-race/exhilarating-moments-hamlin-overtakes-truex-win-southern-500/#1

Thumbs Down: Throwback Party Poopers 

NASCAR’s throwback weekend at Darlington is a fun spectacle when it comes to teams running retro paint schemes on their race cars. Almost every team participates in this new-ish tradition by racing with an old school-style paint scheme.

And, yes, that’s almost every team.

Thumbs down to the party poopers who didn’t or couldn’t get in on the fun. There aren’t many, and I won’t shame them by name, but they know who they are. It’s like going to an 80’s-themed party and dressing up in your normal clothes. Not cool!

Biggest Thumbs Up of the Week: NASCAR Throwback Weekend

Racing in Darlington’s Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend is already an incredible tradition, but the awesomeness is magnified when everybody embraces the throwback spirit of commemorating NASCAR’s rich past.

From retro-themed paint schemes to legendary broadcasters to drivers dressing the part themselves, it’s a fun and memorable weekend — a weekend deserving of this week’s biggest thumbs up of the week.

Until next time we throw back, Darlington.

Caption this! #NASCARThrowback

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Posted on by Brad Norman

RELATED: Full race results

Darlington Raceway’s third annual throwback weekend was old-school everywhere one looked.

The paint schemes were the most pronounced evidence that NASCAR had stepped back in time, to the 1980s to be precise, but plenty more caught the eye. The pit crews wore old fire suits, Brad Keselowski donned a Rusty Wallace-inspired wig and NBC’s fleet of reporters dressed like Madonna and characters on “Miami Vice.”

RELATED: See all the weekend photos

The most old-school element of the weekend, though, was the man standing in Victory Lane after winning the Bojangles’ Southern 500: Denny Hamlin.

On throwback weekend, Hamlin delivered a throwback performance that may go down as a defining weekend in his career.

First, there was his win Saturday in the NASCAR XFINITY Series race. His crossover move on Joey Logano to reclaim the lead coming out of Turn 4 on the final lap reminded the driver of a certain seven-time premier series champion.

“That was a throwback to Dale Earnhardt,” Hamlin said after the race.

Then there was Sunday in the Bojangles’ Southern 500. Hamlin, in a paint scheme that honored Ray Hendrick, missed pit road when he attempted to come in for service on Lap 314 (of 367). That forced him to jam on the brakes, skirt past the inside wall, get back up to speed and take an additional lap around Darlington before pitting successfully.

His chances blown, right? Not quite.

Hamlin rallied in a manner that all drivers can appreciate, but perhaps most particularly the ones who used to wrench on their own cars in their own garages. “I drove my ass off,” he said, evidenced by the manner in which he celebrated with his crew and by the way he looked in Victory Lane afterward.

Elbows up, he methodically tracked Martin Truex Jr. down through lapped traffic, caught him, tailed him and eventually passed him when Truex Jr. cut a tire with two laps remaining.

That bright-red paint scheme that shone on his No. 11 Toyota told quite the throwback story on Sunday. But not as much as the man who wheeled it improbably to Victory Lane.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Full race results

Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 22nd in his final Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway as a full-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver.

Earnhardt’s night, and the night for his No. 88 team, got worse post-race after NASCAR officials found two lug nuts unsecured on his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet during post-race inspection.

Two unsecured lug nuts will result in a $20,000 fine and one-race suspension for crew chief Greg Ives, as suggested in the NASCAR Rule Book. That means Ives likely will miss the regular-season finale at Richmond Raceway — Earnhardt’s final chance to win and punch his ticket into the playoffs in his last season.

“We’ll work through that,” Earnhardt said on his Periscope after the race. “It doesn’t concern me about this team. This team can handle this type of stuff. Greg can handle it. He’s a tough guy. We’ll get through that. It happens.”

Any official penalties will be announced later in the week.

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Buy Truex Jr. gear

DARLINGTON, S.C. — Martin Truex Jr. aptly described his Labor Day Sunday as “bittersweet,” with just cause to celebrate and reasons aplenty for dejection.

There was some satisfaction to be had with the sting at Darlington Raceway, a regular-season title lauding Truex’s yearlong accomplishments. But his shot at defending his Bojangles’ Southern 500 crown in one of the season’s most demanding events ended with a blown right-front tire near the end and a grinding scrape for his Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Toyota against the Turn 3 wall.

“I was kind of out there caught up driving my guts out at the end trying to hang on,” Truex said after limping to an eighth-place finish behind eventual race winner Denny Hamlin. “It’s unfortunate we blew the tire, but really proud of everybody on this team for an amazing season so far, and to lock up the regular-season points is a huge accomplishment for us, for our team. I feel like we’ve come a long way in just a few years together and continue to climb.

“Proud of everybody. Wish we could have won, but that’s the breaks. Sometimes they go your way, sometimes they don’t, and tonight we come up a little short. But definitely a lot to be proud of.”

RELATED: Truex expresses disappointment

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Regular Season Championship, instituted this year, hands Truex a 15-playoff-point bonus to his already commanding tally. Combined with his two stage wins Sunday night (his series-leading 16th and 17th this season), he heads to next weekend’s regular-season finale at Richmond with 52 playoff points — a heavy advantage as he enters the closing 10-race stretch.

“Oh, we’ve had a great year,” said Cole Pearn, third-year crew chief for the No. 78 team. “We’ve been good every week and managed to not have too many mishaps and added consistency. I think that’s a real credit to the team, and hopefully we can keep that rolling into the playoffs.”

Truex’s four-win season was in prime position of becoming five at Darlington. He led five times for 76 of the 367 laps, and — as has become customary during Truex’s regular-season tear — his time up front was strategically planned at the end of the race’s first two stages.

Truex seemed to have optimal timing again near the finish, springing to the lead shortly after the final exchange of pit stops in the closing 102-lap run of green-flag racing. Hamlin gradually chopped into the lead, setting up a potential classic contest for the lead. But Truex’s tire gave way, allowing Hamlin to scoot by and lead the final three circuits.

“Tough one to take that way, but it is what it is,” Pearn said. “Hell of a car, proud of the effort. This one stings a bit.”

Truex’s consolation prize at least came at an appropriate venue. Post-race, he referenced clinching his first NASCAR championship in what’s now the XFINITY Series here, back with Dale Earnhardt Inc. in 2004. He followed that season with another XFINITY title, launching his career toward a star turn in NASCAR’s premier series.

“To do it here again tonight was really cool,” Truex said. “It was just kind of a neat connection. Darlington has been good to me. I love coming here, and for that reason I guess it’s a little bit extra special to do it here tonight.”

Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Full results | Series standings | Playoff standings | Detailed breakdown
SHOP: Hamlin gear

DARLINGTON, S.C. – Denny Hamlin made a huge mistake Sunday night.

Then the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota made an even bigger comeback to win one of NASCAR’s most prestigious races.

Running down race leader Martin Truex Jr. from 20 seconds back after missing the entrance to pit road on Lap 313 of 367, Hamlin won the Bojangles’ Southern 500 for the second time, finishing off a sweep of the throwback Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series/NASCAR XFINITY Series weekend at Darlington Raceway.

On tires that were 10 laps fresher than Truex’s, Hamlin exited pit road in 14th-place on Lap 315 after missing the entrance the first time, and methodically began to chop into Truex’s lead. With just over two laps left, Hamlin was closing fast, as Truex was fighting to maintain control of his car on worn-out rubber.

RELATED: Hamlin misses pit road, loses lead

Truex grazed the wall on Lap 365, then cut a tire and bounced off the wall again as Hamlin rushed past. Two laps later, Hamlin had his second victory of the season and the 31st of his career.

Hamlin beat JGR teammate Kyle Busch to the finish line by 2.599 seconds as Truex faded to eighth after clinching the regular-season championship by winning the first two stages of the race.

“That’s as hard as I can drive,” said Hamlin, whose Camry sported a paint scheme paying tribute to renowned modified driver Ray Hendrick. “What can I say — it’s the ‘Flying 11.’ It means everything to me. I mean, as far as I’m concerned, this is a throwback to my history – this is for Ray Hendrick, Bugs Hairfield, Wayne Patterson, Eddie Johnson, the short track guys that I grew up watching.

“This was a throwback to them. Back in 1985 and 1989, I was at Southside Speedway in the stands watching them race and learning everything I could from them, and this is a throwback to them and their history.”

Hamlin last won the Bojangles’ Southern 500 in 2010, when he also achieved a two-race sweep. In the last seven runnings of the event, Hamlin has finished in the top six on six occasions.

But, under the circumstances, Sunday night’s win was one to savor.

“This one’s sweeter,” he acknowledged, “going through the adversity we did.”

Hamlin was pushing hard to get to pit road on Lap 313 when he came in too hot and had to steer his car back onto the track to avoid a commitment violation or contact with the barrels at the head of pit road. Hamlin termed it “kind of a rookie move,” but over the closing laps he more than atoned for the mistake.

Truex didn’t have the dominant car in the first two stages, but he won both, despite leading just 34 of the first 200 laps. And when Truex took the green/checkered flag under caution at the end of the second 100-lap stage, he clinched the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular-season championship.

With a 15-playoff-point bonus for that accomplishment, Truex increased his playoff point total to a series-best 52, giving the driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota a huge leg up toward advancing through the early rounds of the playoff.

But Truex, the defending winner of the event, was disappointed he couldn’t hold on to the top spot for two more laps.

RELATED: Truex expresses disappointment

“It was definitely a bittersweet night for us, to come up just two laps short there, blow a tire at the end after having no issues with tires all night and having such a good race car,” Truex said. “I don’t know if that last run was the longest one we made all night. I’m not really sure, to be honest. I was kind of out there caught up driving my guts out at the end trying to hang on.

“It’s unfortunate we blew the tire, but really proud of everybody on this team for an amazing season so far, and to lock up the regular-season points is a huge accomplishment for us, for our team. I feel like we’ve come a long way in just a few years together and continue to climb.”

Clint Bowyer suffered an engine failure and fell out of the race after 18 laps, leaving the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing team with but one path into the playoffs — a victory next Saturday night at Richmond.

RELATED: Bowyer’s playoff hopes take a hit

“It just blew up,” Bowyer lamented after taking his Ford to the garage. “It’s a pretty inopportune time to have it happen, but it’s never a good time. Doug Yates and all the guys over at his (Roush-Yates Engines) shop do such a good job of bringing us reliable, good horsepower, and it was just my time.

“It was my turn, and there isn’t much you can do about it. Obviously, the way the playoffs look right now, we’re not out of this thing. We’ve still got a good race track coming up for us. We’ll just go there and do the best we can and put all the cards on the table over there.”