NASCAR Cup Series: Top 5 active superspeedway drivers

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Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, NASCAR (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

Top 5 superspeedway drivers: No. 1 – Denny Hamlin

Over the past two years or so, Denny Hamlin has jumped ahead of the field when it comes to superspeedway racing. It seems like he has a talent for this style of racing. No matter the package, he has adapted to it.

Hamlin has won three of the last five Daytona 500 races, all of which were done differently. In 2016, he started the final lap in fifth place and jumped to the outside and got a push from Kevin Harvick to get by teammate Matt Kenseth and beat Martin Truex Jr. by 0.010 seconds.

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That is still the record for the closest Daytona 500 finish ever. Then in 2019, Hamlin led at the white flag and never gave up the lead as he held off separate charges from Joey Logano and teammate Kyle Busch.

This year, Hamlin led at the white flag and was passed by Ryan Newman and Ryan Blaney on the final lap. After Newman got turned into the outside wall entering the tri-oval due to contact with Blaney, Hamlin side-drafted past Blaney and beat him to the finish line by 0.014 seconds. That is the second closest finish in Daytona 500 history.

It seems like Hamlin can make the move from any position at superspeedways. He has admitted to having a sense for when a big wreck is going to happen. This has helped him to put himself in position to win so many of these races.

In the past nine superspeedway races, Hamlin’s average finish is 14.00 with two wins, five top five finishes and 147 laps led.

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If there is one driver who is consistently a contender at the end of these races, it is Denny Hamlin. He knows what it takes to win from any spot on the last lap of a race, and that is why he is the best superspeedway driver on the track today.

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