The spectators in Charlotte saw the longest NASCAR Cup Series race in history this weekend – 619.5 miles. Many would argue that it won’t be intriguing at all, but the competition proved all the critics wrong on Sunday. It was one of the closest calls this season and one of the most eventful races eliminating plenty of the favorites in a Stage 2 collision. The list included Chase Elliott, William Byron, Kurt Busch, and Brad Keselowski. The leader in the championship was looking great on Sunday, but this misfortune tracked him down and sent him under the showers halfway through the race.
Daniel Suarez was the one who took advantage of the situation and headed into Stage 3 on top of the pack. However, he collided with Chris Buescher, and despite having the fastest car, he finished in 25th place.
The five-hour thriller ended up with joy for Denny Hamlin and disappointment for many other drivers who had a shot in the first place. This was a historic win for the 41-year-old, who snatched his second victory of the season and became the second active driver winning NASCAR’s crown-jewel races – the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and Southern 500.