Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin won a rain-affected Toyota 500 in the second round since the return of NASCAR.

 The 39-year-old was leading the race with 25 laps to go when the drivers were told to enter the pits, only for the race to be called off shortly afterwards.

Hamlin’s win is his second of the season after he won the curtain-raiser Daytona 500 in February, with it moving him up to fourth in the standings.

Championship leader Kevin Harvick stayed out front after a third-place finish, while Kyle Busch earned his third podium of the season with a second place.

The Toyota 500 represented the second running for the cup series at Darlington this week and was the first NASCAR race on a Wednesday since 1984.

Despite finishing 22nd, Clint Bowyer won both stage 1 and 2 as well as leading the most laps.

“I was pretty happy with how it all turned out,” Hamlin said after the race.

“I’ve got my happy face on, made sure I brought it with me today. “It’s a driver’s race track. You can move around. You can do different things to make your car handle. We got it right today.”

The series returns to action this Sunday for the Coca-Cola 500 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina.

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