Denny Hamlin on Sunday won his third NASCAR Cup Series race of 2024. The 43-year-old felt like the result was a foregone conclusion.
Hamlin edged out Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson by 0.256 seconds to win the Würth 400 at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver tied Larson’s teammate William Byron for the most Cup Series wins this season.
After the race, Hamlin posted a 2-word message on X.
“Called it,” wrote Hamlin.
Called it pic.twitter.com/qCnrCLHmHo
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) April 28, 2024
The post included a photo of Hamilton Porter from the 1993 baseball movie “The Sandlot.” Hamlin’s face was edited onto Porter’s face during the scene in which the fictional slugger calls a home run before he hits it.
Hamlin also uploaded two clips: one of him previously predicting a win at Dover and another of him swinging the checkered flag from Sunday’s race as if it were a baseball bat.
Not everyone was happy about Hamlin’s win at Dover. At least one fan threw a cucumber at Hamlin after his first-place finish. The fruity gesture has been a common occurrence for the polarizing Hamlin.
Another concrete cucumber 🥒 @dennyhamlin | #MonsterMile pic.twitter.com/TLV4Fup5hk
— Dover Motor Speedway (@MonsterMile) April 28, 2024
Hamlin’s Cup Series victory at Dover was the 54th of his career. The win tied him with Lee Petty for the 12th most in NASCAR Cup Series history.
