After the NASCAR Xfinity Series had their second race on Sunday afternoon, it was the Cup Series turn to take to the track at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Dixie Vodka 400. Before the race began, the double zero car driven by Quin Houff (inspection failure), and BJ McLeod (unapproved adjustments) were sent to the rear of the field. NASCAR implemented a competition caution at lap 25. Denny Hamlin was the pole sitter with Joey Logano starting second.
Shortly after the command to fire the engines, NASCAR had all of the teams shut the engines off due to lightning and rain in the area. The delay lasted two hours and forty-six minutes before the drivers made their way back to their cars to start the race. Hamlin and Logano led the field to the green flag to start the Dixie Vodka 400.
Green, green, green! The #DixieVodka400 from @HomesteadMiami is underway on FOX! pic.twitter.com/LvykbKbgUw — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 14, 2020
Hamlin elected the outside lane putting Logano on the inside. On the fourth lap, Tyler Reddick made his way to 13th after starting 24th. Lightning struck within ten miles of the track bringing out the first caution of the race. The race would then go under the red flag. After a two-hour and eight-minute delay, the drivers were back in their cars, and the race got back underway.
Joey Logano chose the inside lane putting Denny Hamlin on the outside to get the race started back up at lap nine. Tyler Reddick gained a ton of positions, working his up to the seventh position after starting 24th. Logano’s teammate Brad Keselowski was closing in on Logano for the lead but could not find a way to get around him for the lead. On lap 21, Ryan Newman spun from the 19th position after losing a tire as the competition caution came out.
Ryan Newman goes for a spin. pic.twitter.com/2g2ufkUYpQ — FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 14, 2020
Seven cars stayed out under the competition caution as Logano led the field down to pit road. He would win the race off of pit road with four tires and fuel with Harvick coming out second. Ty Dillon was caught speeding on pit road and had to start in the rear of the field. A lap later, the seven cars pitted, giving the lead back to Logano.
Logano chose the inside lane putting Kevin Harvick on the outside. The race got back underway on lap 25. Tyler Reddick got by Kevin Harvick for the second position. Reddick would lose the spot to Chase Elliott and drop to the third position. Elliott would get by Logano on the inside for the lead on lap 30. Three laps later, the caution flag would come out again for lightning in the area. NASCAR would quickly throw the red flag.
NEW LEADER: No. 9️⃣@chaseelliott moves past @joeylogano to take over the top spot during Stage 1. pic.twitter.com/rr9GoHHpu7 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 14, 2020
The delay would last thirty-eight minutes before the drivers headed back out to their cars again to resume the race. All of the lead lap cars pitted for four tires and fuel. During pit stops, Joey Logano would hit the double zero car of Quin Houff and suffered some damage to the nose of the car. Kevin Harvick and Matt DiBenedetto also suffered some damage when the field got stacked up behind Joey Logano. Both Harvick and DiBenedetto pitted again for the crews to fix the damage.
Chase Elliott chose the inside lane putting Ryan Blaney on the outside when the race restarted on lap 37. Ryan Blaney would get the lead, making an outside pass on Elliott. Chase was holding on strong and did not allow Blaney to getaway. On lap 45, Denny Hamlin passed Elliott for the second position. Aric Almirola had made his way to the fifth position after restarting thirteenth. Kevin Harvick battled Logano for the 17th position and got it. Harvick would give the position right back to Logano as he headed to pit road to continue to fix the damage from earlier.
.@chaseelliott and @Blaney are on the front row as we're racing again from @HomesteadMiami! (📺: FOX) pic.twitter.com/9TAVV2ezrz — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 15, 2020
On lap 60, Erik Jones made a pit stop from the 12th position with a loose wheel. On lap 76, Denny Hamlin made a low to pass on Ryan Blaney to take the lead with five laps left in stage one.
.@dennyhamlin wins this tremendous battle for the lead in Stage 1! #DixieVodka400 pic.twitter.com/MVvUeZffJp — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 15, 2020
Denny Hamlin would go on to win stage one, his first stage win since stage two of the Daytona 500. Erik Jones would get the free pass.
STAGE WINNER: @dennyhamlin collects another #NASCARPlayoffs point by winning Stage 1 at @HomesteadMiami! pic.twitter.com/hDvFfkB3bi — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 15, 2020
Denny Hamlin led the field down to pit road for four tires and fuel. He would win the race off of pit road with Chase Elliott coming out second, Ryan Blaney third, and Alex Bowman fourth. Joey Logano remained on pit road to work on the front end. Jimmie Johnson also had a lengthy pit stop as his crew fixed the roof flap.
Hamlin chose the inside lane putting Elliot on the outside as the race resumed on lap 88 to start stage two. Chase Elliott would get the lead from Hamlin. Three laps into the restart, Ryan Blaney made his way back to the lead, hugging the low line, in turn one to pass Elliott.
NEW LEADER: @Blaney is back out front! Is tonight the night the No. 12 reaches Victory Lane for the first time in 2020? pic.twitter.com/GCMYoJUEL0 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 15, 2020
On lap 117, Ryan Newman pitted from the 25th position to start scheduled green-flag pit stops. Two laps later, Kyle Busch pitted from the 8th position, and Brad Keselowski followed him. Denny Hamlin pitted on lap 120 just 0.4 seconds behind Blaney. A lap later, Blaney made his stop handing the lead to Tyler Reddick. Tyler Reddick pitted on lap 122, giving the lead to Denny Hamlin. Hamlin had a two-second lead on Blaney. On lap 140, Jimmie Johnson would lose a lap to the leader. Eight laps later, Joey Logano, who was a lap down, bumped Chase Elliott hard in the back.
👀@chaseelliott | @joeylogano pic.twitter.com/kWwhfG4ffq — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 15, 2020
On lap 153, Tyler Reddick was passed by Ryan Blaney for the second position, and Blaney would lose the third position to Chase Elliott. Denny Hamlin did not have any challenges and would go on to win stage two at lap 161. Ryan Preece would get the free pass.
STAGE WINNER: @dennyhamlin holds off the field and sweeps the opening two stages of the #DixieVodka400! pic.twitter.com/lZJrG7nnSC — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 15, 2020
All of the lead lap cars pitted for four tires and fuel. Hamlin would leave pit road with first place. Kurt Busch pitted from the 14th position but would start at the rear of the field for an uncontrolled tire. The race got back underway to start the final stage on lap 168. Hamlin chose the inside lane, putting Chase Elliott on the outside. On lap 171, Joey Logano slid into the turn two wall and got together with Ryan Newman bringing out the sixth caution of the race. John Hunter Nemechek would get the free pass.
A tough night gets even tougher for @joeylogano. Caution is out in the final stage at @HomesteadMiami. pic.twitter.com/i40XciEnKy — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 15, 2020
Once again, all of the lead lap cars came down to pit road for four tires and fuel. Hamlin would win the race off of pit road with Chase Elliott coming out second. Austin Dillon came into pit road 7th, but an uncontrolled tire sent him to the rear of the field. The race got back underway on lap 176, with Hamlin choosing the inside lane and Elliott on the outside. Martin Truex Jr. did not get off to a great restart dropping to the 12th position after restarting 5th.
On lap 194, Ryan Blaney would get the lead from Hamlin only for Hamlin to take it right back in the backstretch. Blaney raced hard but would lose momentum, allowing Elliott to get by him for the second position.
Yeah, it's getting good. With less than 75 laps remaining, @dennyhamlin, @Blaney and @chaseelliott are all battling for the top spot! (📺: FOX) pic.twitter.com/2paEPjOhkb — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 15, 2020
Kevin Harvick would come down to pit road on lap 206 with a flat tire. Three laps later, Chris Buescher had a tire going down and would come to pit road from the 21st position. Two laps later, Chase Elliott pitted from the second position just 0.7 seconds behind Hamlin. Hamlin pitted on lap 218 along with Ryan Blaney, and the new leader was Tyler Reddick. Reddick came in a lap later, handing the lead to Kyle Busch.
Kyle Busch pitted on lap 221, handing the lead to Matt Kenseth, who was the only car not to pit. Chase Elliott caught Kenseth to regain the lead. When no caution came out, Kenseth finally pitted on lap 229. Denny Hamlin would get the lead back from Elliott after Elliott lost momentum when Joey Logano blocked the line allowing Hamlin to get by him on lap 238.
NEW LEADER: @dennyhamlin (with the help of @joeylogano?) gets past @chaseelliott for the lead! pic.twitter.com/AucU6zVpx8 — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 15, 2020
Denny extended his lead and was pulling away on lap 251. He did lose momentum dealing with lap cars allowing Elliott to close. While Elliott was chasing Hamlin, Blaney was reeling in Elliott for the second position. Hamlin had a strong car in this race. As Hamlin was cruising, the battle for second heated up between Elliott and Blaney.
On lap 259, Erik Jones pitted with a right rear flat after getting into the wall from the seventh position. With Elliott and Blaney racing for second, their battle allowed them to catch Hamlin slowly. Both drivers ran out of laps as Hamlin would go on to win the Dixie Vodka 400. Chase Elliott finished second and Ryan Blaney third.
Redemption for the 1️⃣1️⃣ at @HomesteadMiami! Retweet to congratulate @dennyhamlin on an impressive victory tonight! #DixieVodka400 pic.twitter.com/qHeOczC3MX — NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 15, 2020
The rest of the top ten finishers were Tyler Reddick fourth, Aric Almirola fifth, Kyle Busch sixth, Austin Dillon seventh, Christopher Bell eighth, William Byron ninth, and Brad Keselowski tenth. The race had seventeen lead changes by seven drivers and six cautions.
Despite everything Mother Nature threw at the track from lightning delays to a water spout in the distance, NASCAR finishes the weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The NASCAR Cup Series will now head to Talladega Superspeedway next Sunday at 3 pm on FOX.
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