The 2018 season marked the first time in Denny Hamlin's 13-year career as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver that he failed to win a race. On Sunday, Hamlin made sure the 2019 season would not end up the same way, as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver won the 61st running of the Daytona 500.

The victory was Hamlin's second in NASCAR's most prestigious race, as he won the February race at Daytona International Speedway's 2.5-mile oval in 2016. His last victory overall had come 25 races into the 2017 season. And it was an emotional win.

"This one's for J.D.," Hamlin said, referring to J.D. Gibbs, the son of team owner Joe Gibbs who died recently of a degenerative neurological disease. "The whole family -- they did so much for me over the course of my career. This one is for J.D. We are desperately going to miss him the rest of our lives. His legacy still lives on through Joe Gibbs Racing and proud to do this for them.

"Just amazing to be in this position. I don't want to tear this (car) up because I want to put it back in my house."

Hamlin said his immediate plan was to party heartily in Daytona Beach.

"I'm going to hate tomorrow," he said.

22 PHOTOS Daytona 500 wrecks See Gallery Daytona 500 wrecks Chase Elliott (9), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (17), Brad Keselowski (2), Kyle Larson (42), Ty Dillon (13) and Alex Bowman (88) wreck in Turn 3 during the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough) Ryan Blaney (12), Aric Almirola (10), Paul Menard (21), David Ragan (38) and Matt DiBenedetto (95) start a multi-car wreck between Turns 3 and 4 during the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) Multiple cars, including Austin Dillon (3), Daniel Suarez (41), David Ragan (38), Paul Menard (21), Ryan Newman (6), Aric Almirola (10), Matt DiBenedetto (95), and Ryan Blaney (12) crash during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) Multiple cars, including Austin Dillon (3), Daniel Suarez (41), David Ragan (38), Paul Menard (21), Ryan Newman (6), Aric Almirola (10), Matt DiBenedetto (95) and Ryan Blaney (12) crash during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) Multiple cars, including Austin Dillon (3), Daniel Suarez (41), David Ragan (38), Paul Menard (21), Ryan Newman (6), Aric Almirola (10), Matt DiBenedetto (95) and Ryan Blaney (12) crash during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) Multiple cars crash during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Jim Topper) Erik Jones (20), William Byron (24), Brad Keselowski (2), and Brendan Gaughan (62) crash during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/David Graham) Multiple cars crash during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Jim Topper) Multiple cars crash during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Jim Topper) Multiple cars crash during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Jim Topper) Ryan Blaney (12), Aric Almirola (10), Paul Menard (21), David Ragan (38) and Matt DiBenedetto (95) start a multi-car wreck between Turns 3 and 4 during the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) Matt DiBenedetto (95), Ryan Blaney (12), Matt Tifft (36), Aric Almirola (10), Paul Menard (21), Ryan Newman (6), David Ragan (38), Daniel Suarez (41) and Austin Dillon (3) collide between Turns 3 and 4 during the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) Brad Keselowski (2) slides across the track after getting into a crash during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) Jamie McMurray, center, crashes into Darrell Wallace Jr. (43) after Kurt Busch, right, spins out from the wreck during the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Ron Sander) Matt Tifft (36), Darrell Wallace Jr. (43), Kurt Busch (1) and Jamie McMurray (40) are involved in a wreck in Turn 2 during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) Darrell Wallace Jr. (43) gets caught up in a wreck with Kurt Busch (1) as Clint Bowyer (14) goes high to avoid the crash during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Ron Sander) Erik Jones (20), William Byron (24), Brad Keselowski (2) and Brendan Gaughan (62) crash during the late stages of a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) Tyler Reddick (31) is hit from behind by Cody Ware (52) during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) Tyler Reddick (31) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (17) slide into a pit stall after colliding during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) BJ McLeod (51) and Cody Ware (52) spin on the front stretch during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) Cody Ware wrecks coming into pit road with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (17) and Tyler Reddick (31) during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/David Graham) Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (17) slips between Cody Ware (52) and Tyler Reddick (31) as they crash on pit road during a NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) Up Next See Gallery Discover More Like This HIDE CAPTION SHOW CAPTION of SEE ALL BACK TO SLIDE

Hating on Sunday was Kyle Busch.

Hamlin set up the victory with a pass of Busch, his teammate, just before a wreck brought out a caution with two laps to go and set up an overtime restart. On the overtime restart, Hamlin was perfect and was able to hold off Busch.

Busch had been hoping to win his first 500 in 14 starts and fill the biggest void on his racing resume.

"Certainly bittersweet," Busch said. "It's awesome to see a JGR car in Victory Lane for Joe and J.D. and everything that's kind have gone on this offseason.

"He's got two, I got none, but that's all part of it."

Busch won the 60-lap first stage of the race while Ryan Blaney, as he did a year ago, captured the second stage.

Erik Jones finished third, giving Gibbs all three podium finishes.

Racing was fairly polite for a restrictor plate race -- until a huge wreck occurred near the front of the field 10 laps from the end. It started when Paul Menard turned Matt DiBenedetto, who had led 49 laps on the day, from behind.

Among the 21 cars involved in the wreck were those of defending 500 champion Austin Dillon, pole-sitter William Byron, former Cup champ Martin Truex Jr., Blaney, Chase Elliott and Aric Almirola, who was headed to victory a year ago when he was spun from behind on the final corner of the final lap. Six of the drivers involved had led laps Sunday.

The wreck Sunday brought out a red flag for the massive cleanup. On the ensuing restart, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got loose causing another big wreck involving six cars and further whittled down the field. On the restart after that caution, Clint Boyer made an aggressive move and another wreck occurred that set up an overtime finish.

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