Joe Gibbs Racing opened its 25th Anniversary season with a win in the sport’s biggest race when Denny Hamlin took the checkered flag in today’s Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
JGR was strong throughout speed weeks at the famed 2.5-mile speedway and today was certainly no different with all four JGR teams running inside the top five late in the race with an opportunity for a win. But in the end it was a bold last lap move to the outside that propelled Hamlin and the FedEx team to the win. Fittingly enough it was the first Daytona 500 victory for JGR since Dale Jarrett captured the organization’s first overall win at the race back in 1993.