Daily Times

LOS ANGELES: Denny Hamlin, who wasn’t even sure he’d be healed from offseason shoulder surgery in time to compete in the Clash at the Coliseum, won the Saturday night exhibition that NASCAR hurried into a one-day show to avoid a dangerous “Pineapple Express” storm headed toward California. Hamlin, in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, started from the pole and led 59 of the 151 laps. But his teammate Ty Gibbs controlled a large portion of the race until a late caution set up a restart with 10 laps remaining. Hamlin got the lead on the restart and was about to win until Gibbs crashed on the last lap to send the race into overtime. Hamlin then got a jump on reigning NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney, who needed a provisional to make the 23-car field, on the restart for the win. “It’s just a great momentum boost,” said Hamlin, who will now move on to the season-opening Daytona 500, where he will seek a fourth win in “The Great American Race.” “You know, I clean off all the trophies every January 1st in the entryway of the house and now we get to add another one pretty quick, so pretty happy about that.”