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If you wanted to know how much a stage win means in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, one look at Sunday’s Straight Talk 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway tells you all you need to know.
Ryan Blaney originally cycled to the race lead after a round of green flag pit stops early in the stage, but Chase Elliott was able to get around the defending champion to take the top spot for himself.
Soon after, Denny Hamlin – who pitted later than both Blaney and Elliott and had fresher tires – got around Blaney for second, setting his sights on the leader.
Neither driver has had the most impressive playoff runs, and stage wins have been hard to come by for each. Elliott’s only stage win of the season came in the season-opening Daytona 500, while Hamlin hadn’t won a stage since the Brickyard 400 on July 21.
After catching Elliott, Hamlin played a spirited game of cat and mouse with the 2020 champion, as both drivers moved around the racetrack in search of grip.
Eventually Hamlin was able to get side-by-side with Elliott, and on lap 161, Hamlin completed the pass, taking the lead away from NASCAR’s most popular driver.
Hamlin went on to win the stage, with Elliott holding off Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell for second-place. The stage win is Hamlin’s first in over three months of competition, and gives him 10 crucial points as he looks to advance to the Championship Four for the fifth time in his career.