Denny Hamlin was really, really happy to win the Daytona 500 Sunday, but not just for the reasons you think.
It was the biggest victory of Hamlin’s career, a signature win that put him in a class with NASCAR’s elite. And it came in dramatic fashion, producing a highlight-reel finish that will go down in history as the closest and one of the greatest in NASCAR history.
MORE: Daytona 500 winners | 2016 Daytona 500 in photos
All those things were great, but Hamlin was also happy he won because, if he hadn’t, teammate Matt Kenseth would have been pissed.