NASCAR at Richmond results: Alex Bowman steals Toyota Owners 400 victory from Denny Hamlin

Alex Bowman was the man on Sunday — for 12 laps.

Bowman took home the checkered flag in the 2021 Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond with a late charge, holding off Denny Hamlin after a restart with just a dozen laps to go.

Hamlin won the first two stages of Sunday's race and was in control after a late caution, but Bowman stole the victory from him with great late pace. He opened up a half-second lead after the restart and took home his first win of the 2021 season — and the third win of his career.

Hamlin, meanwhile, secured his eighth top-five finish of the year, but he's probably left wondering what he's going to have to do to take home a checkered flag in 2021.

Sporting News tracked action, highlights and more from Sunday's race at Richmond. Check it out below.

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(All times Eastern)

NASCAR at Richmond results

Official results

NASCAR at Richmond live updates, highlights

6:25 p.m. FINISH: Bowman, with a late charge, takes home his first Cup Series victory of the season after overtaking Hamlin on the restart.

RETWEET TO CONGRATULATE @Alex_Bowman ON HIS WIN AT RICHMOND!#NASCAR | @TeamHendrick pic.twitter.com/HWJhE9XiXq

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 18, 2021

6:20 p.m.:  On the restart, Alex Bowman takes the lead from Denny Hamlin and opens up a half second lead over him.

6:14 p.m.:  Hamlin and Logano both pit under a yellow flag. Hamlin comes out on front from pit lane. 

6:11 p.m.:  Caution flag out as Kevin Harvick slams into the wall. He's OK. Right rear tire popped.

Tire trouble sends Harvick hard into the wall at Richmond.

Replay: https://t.co/GqqvLNQ3sp pic.twitter.com/hZ0o01nNfZ

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 18, 2021

6:08 p.m.:  Fun battle between Hamlin and Logano. Hamlin right on Logano's rear bumper. 24 laps to go.

6:02 p.m.:  First-place battle between Logano and Hamlin heating up. Hamlin right on Logano's rear. Trying to push.

5:56 p.m.:  Truex pits from the lead, Hamlin sits two seconds behind Logano. Kyle Busch incurs a penalty for pit road.

5:44 p.m.:  81 laps to go, and Hamlin still in the lead.

5:36 p.m.:  Martin Truex slapped with a penalty for speeding down pit road. His first penalty for speeding this year. 

5:34 p.m.:  Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick pitting in lap 293. Hamlin follows them.

5:19 p.m.:  Joey Logano really pushing Denny Hamlin now. Truex in third, followed by Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Christopher Bell. 

5:14 p.m.:  No driver who's swept the first two stages has ever won. Hamlin out front with 151 laps left in the race.

5:05 p.m. End Stage 2:  Denny Hamlin takes Stage 2, by a second over Truex. Shaping up to be Hamlin's day for a win — maybe.

4:54 p.m.:  Denny Hamlin is in the lead with 25 laps left in Stage 2. Brad Keselowski charged into third place, behind Truex. Kevin Harvick also making a move, sitting in sixth. 

4:43 p.m.:  Pit stops coming from the leaders. 51 laps left in Stage 2. 

4:32 p.m.:  Restart away, and Truex and Hamlin are still locked in a battle for first. Truex says he's having issues with his brakes. Uh oh.

4:23 p.m.:  Caution flag is out in lap 143 as Ryan Newman spins out and into the wall. Not a lot of damage for Newman, and he drives off.

Watch as Ryan Newman goes around after contact with Austin Cindric!

This is the first caution for cause at Richmond since 2019. pic.twitter.com/D8r6qygtFI

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 18, 2021

4:15 p.m.:  Truex squeaks out in front of Hamlin, taking the lead entering lap 45. 

4:03 p.m.:  Stage 2 underway, 155 laps in this stage. Denny Hamlin clinging to the lead. 

3:51 p.m. End Stage 1:  Denny Hamlin takes home Stage 1, still in search of his first win of the 2021 season. 

Hamlin wins opening stage ... Hamlin Truex Logano Byron Blaney Bell Bowman Dillon Keselowski Harvick

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 18, 2021

3:40 p.m.:  Under 30 laps to go in Stage 1 and it's pretty tame so far. Chase Elliott down in eighth now, locked in a battle with Brad Keselowski. Elliott seems to be fighting his car right now.

3:31 p.m.:  Competition caution out at Lap 33 and Denny Hamlin exits the pits with the lead.

3:26 p.m.:  Already 25 laps through, and the top five remains the same. Austin Dillon sitting in 10th, fighting with William Byron for that spot.

3:17 p.m.:  Denny Hamlin scuffles off the start, but recovers for third. Truex Jr., Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney round out the early one-through-five.

3:10 p.m. : All systems go with no pre-race drama today. Few minutes to green flag.

Engines fired here at Richmond. Stages 80-155-165 (400 laps, 300 miles). Competition caution Lap 30. Fuel run 110-120 laps. 9 sets tires. No drivers dropping to the rear. On FOX @NASCARONFOX

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) April 18, 2021

NASCAR start time today

• Start time: 3 p.m. ET (TV time)
• TV channel: Fox (TSN in Canada)
• Live stream: Fox Sports Go | fuboTV (7-day free trial)

The green flag for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway is scheduled to wave at 3:15 p.m. ET.

It's unlikely that weather will delay the start. The National Weather Service's midweek forecast  for Richmond, Va., called for partly sunny skies and a high temperature near 70 degrees, the capper to a dry weekend.  

NASCAR lineup at Richmond

Here is the complete starting lineup for the Toyota Owners 400 without qualifying: