Hamlin started on the pole but struggled to stay in contention for the win most of the night and was even collected in the 13-car accident near the end of Stage 2.
But as the caution-filled race wound to a close, the field went four-wide off Turn 4 on the first lap of the first overtime, and Hamlin scooted by with the lead as a seven-car wreck erupted behind him.
Hamlin led entering the second overtime but his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch briefly grabbed the lead only to see him get loose and Hamlin reclaim it on the final lap. He held off Busch by 0.119 seconds to claim the win – his first-ever at Charlotte.
The win is the 48th of Hamlin’s NASCAR Cup Series career and second this season. Hamlin now lays claim to winning the longest race in NASCAR history in distance – 413 laps or 619.5 miles.
“It’s so special. It’s the last big one that’s not on my résumé. It means so much,” Hamlin said. “Man, just can’t thank this whole team enough. Never won the Coke 600 before. This means a lot.
“Man, we weren’t very good all day. Just got ourselves in the right place at the right time. What a battle there.”
Kevin Harvick ended up third, Chase Briscoe fourth and Christopher Bell rounded out the top-five.
Completing the top-10 were Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Michael McDowell, Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman.
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Stage 4
Following the break between Stages 3 and 4, all lead-lap cars pit with Reddick the first off pit road. Bowman was penalized on his stop for equipment interference and had to restart from the rear of the field.
When the race resumed on Lap 308 Reddick was followed by Ross Chastain, Larson and Briscoe.
Chastain went low in Turn 4 around Reddick and reclaimed the lead on Lap 323 as Reddick and Larson remained close behind.
Reddick developed a flat left-rear tire and fell off the pace just as NASCAR displayed a caution on Lap 341 for debris from Reddick’s tire on the track.
All the lead-lap cars pit with…
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