Sports

Denny Hamlin gives Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota first All-Star race victories

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Denny Hamlin leaves a trail of smoke from a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint All-Star auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., on Saturday, May 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Chris Keane) (The Associated Press)

Denny Hamlin stands on his car in front of the grandstands after winning the NASCAR Sprint All-Star auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, May 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Terry Renna) (The Associated Press)

Denny Hamlin has given Joe Gibbs Racing its first victory in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race by using clean air to hold off Kevin Harvick at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Hamlin won the pole for Saturday night's race, and was decent through the first four 25-lap segments. He headed to pit road in sixth for the mandatory final pit stop, and his No. 11 team got him back on track in first.

Every driver in the 20-car field wanted to be out front for the final 10-lap sprint to the finish. NASCAR's current rules package has shown that the leader, in clean air, is very difficult to pass.

So Harvick never got close enough to even attempt a move for the lead as Hamlin collected the $1 million prize.