Denny Hamlin wins Daytona 500 2016: Five takeaways from Daytona

Denny Hamlin added his name to the history books, to win the 2016 Daytona 500 on Sunday.

The 2016 season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series got started off with a bang on Sunday, in the Daytona 500. “The Great American Race” provided it’s normal challenges and some of NASCAR’s best struggled with the high speeds and three-wide racing.

In the very early stages of the race, the Hendrick Motorsports teammates of Chase Elliott, the pole sitter, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the field, but things quickly changed. Elliott would fall back into the middle of the pack and would see his day end early, as he hit the grass in the tri-oval. The front end of his car would be bowed and it was taken immediately back to the garage.

From there, the story of the day was the Toyotas of Joe Gibbs Racing. The trio of Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch dominated all day on the track. They had competition from Jimmie Johnson, but the trio worked together to hold everyone off.

In the end, it was Kenseth running in the lead late with Martin Truex Jr. on his tail. However, out of nowhere at the end, Hamlin jumped to the front and beat Truex Jr. in a photo finish to make it the first time a Toyota was in first at the Daytona 500.

Now that the Daytona 500 is behind us, here are five takeaways from NASCAR’s first big race of the year.

1. Chase Elliott gets a rude welcoming to the Sprint Cup Series

While this wasn’t Elliott’s first Sprint Cup race, it was his first as a full-time driver. For the week leading up to the 2016 Daytona 500, all the talk surrounded Elliott taking over for Jeff Gordon in the No. 24 car. He won the pole for the race, becoming the youngest to do so, and had the fastest car on the track in practice.

He led the early laps of the race on Sunday, before he eventually was passed by, but it was an early end to his day on Sunday. As Elliott was coming around the track near the tri-oval, Carl Edwards got right behind his left rear and Elliott spun out and lost control of his vehicle.

He wound up hitting the grass and the hood of his car bowed as a result.

It’s a rude welcoming to the Sprint Cup Series, but it’s a great learning experience for Elliott. He can use the lessons that he has learned these past couple of weeks and take them with him going forward.

2. The Toyotas are off to another dominant start

In 2015, Joe Gibbs Racing and his Toyotas dominated the second half of the season and the Chase en route to Kyle Busch winning the Sprint Cup Championship. On Sunday, three of the four drivers of Joe Gibbs Racing put together another dominant showing.

Busch, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth worked up front all day and there was not another team on the track that could compete with them. Since the summer of last year, these Toyotas have seemed to have a leg up on every other car on the track.

The team chemistry is great, but the driving by these drivers has been exceptional. The only driver from Joe Gibbs Racing that didn’t perform up to expectations, Carl Edwards, was involved in a wreck with Brian Vickers and Trevor Bayne and he had to deal with his fair share of issues on the day.

3. Martin Truex Jr. rebounded nicely after qualifying mishap last week

Martin Truex Jr. had a remarkable season in 2015, making the final four and having a chance to compete for a Sprint Cup Championship at Homestead. However, Truex Jr. didn’t look like he was going to have a good start to the 2016 season.

At Daytona 500 qualifying, Truex Jr. was never able to qualify. His car had a roof flap issue and as a result, the car wasn’t able to meet the five-minute window that Truex Jr. and his team were given. He earned his spot in with a middle of the pack finish at the Can-Am Duels.

For all the bad luck he had heading into the race, Truex Jr. looked more like his 2015 self and worked his way toward the front and battled Joe Gibbs Racing up front often on Sunday. He finally found his groove and it could propel him toward another big season.

4. Jeff Gordon is a natural in the booth

After finally hanging it up as a driver, Jeff Gordon decide to move to the announcers booth for the 2016 season. With Gordon’s tremendous personality and legendary knowledge, many expected him to succeed right away in his new venture.

In the weeks leading up to the Daytona 500, Gordon did a tremendous job for FOX during practice and qualifying. On Sunday, during his first official race, Gordon did a great job in the announcer’s booth and really broke down the psychology of what the drivers are thinking in certain parts of the race.

He brings a new element to the booth and the chemistry he has with the rest of the guys on FOX is already top notch.

5. Denny Hamlin is in the Chase

A Toyota has finally won the Daytona 500. After dominating for most of the race, Denny Hamlin made an incredible push at the end to move past his teammate Matt Kenseth and beat Martin Truex Jr. in a photo finish at the line. Hamlin was back in fourth heading into the last lap and made his move late.

He won by 1/100th of a second miraculously and it was an absolutely stunning finish on the day. With the win, Hamlin has now earned a spot in the Chase and will be competing for a Sprint Cup Championship this fall.