Maybe Denny Hamlin should just go to the rear at the start of every race.
Last week at Nashville, the veteran driver began in pole position but jumped the green flag and was penalized to the back of the field. He still won.
Then, on June 7 at Michigan International Speedway, he again claimed the victory despite being sent to the tail at the beginning for an unapproved adjustment after securing the pole the previous day.
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Neither setback mattered.
During the FireKeepers Casino 400, Hamlin executed the final restart perfectly with 39 laps to go. He assumed the front spot and sprinted away with it, finishing a career-high 11 seconds ahead of runner-up Erik Jones.
“This Joe Gibbs team just keeps giving me amazing racecars,” Hamlin said. “… At the last run there, it was just hammer down.”
Hamlin also won at Michigan in 2025.
Sunday was a historic day with a track-record 11 cautions. The headliner actually progressed into a 20-minute red flag when Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell collided on Lap 149. Bell slammed into the barrier, ending his outing and necessitating repairs to the outside wall.
Here are three takeaways:
1. Denny Hamlin ties Kyle Busch on NASCAR all-time wins list
Hamlin’s victory was meaningful for multiple reasons.
With the 63rd win of his Cup Series career, the 45-year-old tied the late Kyle Busch for ninth on the all-time leaderboard. Hamlin flew a Busch flag during his celebration lap and wore a Busch hat in Victory Lane.
It was also the first race since the death of legendary driver and broadcaster Ned Jarrett. Jarrett passed away at age 93 on June 4. He had 50 Cup Series wins, with the vast majority coming while using the same No. 11 as Hamlin.
“The offseason was rough for me. It was rough for the NASCAR family. We lost a lot of people,” Hamlin said. “This week, we lost Gentleman Ned, the original badass of the 11. We’re still thinking of Kyle (Busch), Samantha, Brexton, Lennix.
“Just an unbelievable feeling to be able to strap in every week, and I don’t take it for granted, this opportunity that I’m in. Just love that we’re making the best of it.”
2. Tyler Reddick encounters two rarities at Michigan
Tyler Reddick experienced two firsts at Michigan — one good, one bad.
The standings leader won Stage 1, capturing his first stage victory of the season and the 10 points that come with it.
Yes, the guy who owns five wins had not claimed a stage until June. Kind of hard to believe.
The flip side was Reddick suffered his first DNF of the campaign. He placed 35th out of 37 cars after a crash in Stage 2 brought his day to an early conclusion. A Carson Hocevar push triggered a nine-car wreck that sent Reddick careening into the inside wall.
Previously, the 23XI driver had not finished outside of the top 15 in any of the first 14 races.
3. NASCAR schedule update: Pocono to host next race
NASCAR will make a pair of unique visits over the next two weeks.
First, it heads to Pocono Raceway, the only track on the schedule with three turns. The Tricky Triangle measures in at 2½ miles. It will host the Great American Getaway 400 at 3 p.m. on June 14.
On June 21, the Cup Series will debut a new event when it competes in the Anduril 250 on the street course at Naval Base Coronado, which should provide quite the spectacle near San Diego.
Both races present different challenges than the regular ovals of the last four weeks.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR takeaways: Denny Hamlin goes first to last to first … again!
Reporting by Chris Vinel, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chris Vinel, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
