Denny Hamlin got his year started off on a positive note Saturday, winning NASCAR’s impromptu exhibition race at the LA Coliseum.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver held off a number of contenders on the two-lap shootout, after he took the lead from Ty Gibbs in the closing laps.
“A lot of it was just with what happened in front of me with the 54 and the 22,” Hamlin said on the Fox Sports 1 broadcast. “It’s so chaotic – the restarts – when everyone’s just bumping and banging, but a good way to start. It’s a great momentum boost. It doesn’t do much more than that, but I clean off my trophies off every January so it’s good to get another.”
Gibbs was approached after the race by Joey Logano at his hauler.
The NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 18 at 1:30 p.m. CT live on FOX.
NASCAR Cup Series results
Busch Light Clash
L.A. Coliseum
Sat. February 3, 2024
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kyle Busch
3. Ryan Blaney
4. Joey Logano
5. Kyle Larson
6. Alex Bowman
7. Chase Briscoe
8. Brad Keselowski
9. Martin Truex Jr.
10. William Byron
11. Ryan Preece
12. Bubba Wallace
13. John Hunter Nemechek
14. Tyler Reddick
15. Ross Chastain
16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
17. Corey LaJoie
18. Ty Gibbs
19. Michael McDowell
20. Noah Gragson
21. Justin Haley
22. Chase Elliott
23. Todd Gilliland
