The 2016 Daytona 500 gave a pretty perfect meaning to the term “photo finish.”
In one of the most dramatic final laps in NASCAR history, Denny Hamlin made a bold move down the stretch to edge Martin Truex Jr. by a split-second margin and claim his first Daytona 500 win.
Hamlin’s margin of victory was the closest ever at Daytona, but it’s certainly not the only dramatic finish in sports history. Nail-biting endings have kept us glued to our seats in nearly every sport, from split-second finishes at Triple Crown horse races and Olympic swimming events to last-second conclusions in Super Bowls and NHL playoff games.
So where does Hamlin’s finish rank among the closest finishes in sports history? Glad you asked.
Click to see the 10 closest sports finishes of all time >>
Photo via Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports Images