MOTOR RACING: Denny Hamlin goes from rear of Michigan field to 2nd straight win

Denny Hamlin is getting used to a familiar formula: start at the front, drop to the back, and still find his way to Victory Lane.

The veteran driver of Joe Gibbs Racing charged from the rear of the field Sunday to win the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, passing Daniel Suárez with 38 laps remaining and pulling away for a commanding finish.

Hamlin started last after an unapproved adjustment to his No. 11 Toyota following a practice incident but still dominated late, finishing ahead of Erik Jones by 11.11 seconds in a 200-lap race marked by a track-record 11 cautions. The win marked his third victory of the 2026 season and his second straight win at Michigan.

The 45-year-old also won the previous weekend in Nashville after starting on the pole but being sent to the rear for a procedural issue, continuing a streak of dramatic comebacks.

Sunday’s victory was the 63rd of Hamlin’s career, tying him with the late Kyle Busch for ninth on the all-time wins list, and extended Toyota’s strong run at Michigan.

Hamlin celebrated with burnouts on the frontstretch before reflecting on his late-race surge.

“At the last run there, it was just hammer down,” said Hamlin, who became a four-time Michigan winner. “Once I got to the lead, I was going to leg it out with all I had.”

He also acknowledged a difficult period for the NASCAR community.

“The offseason was rough for me, for the NASCAR family and we lost a bunch of people,” he said. “This week we lost Gentleman Ned (Jarrett), the original badass of the No. 11. We’re still thinking of the Busch family.”

Jones, a Michigan native, earned his first top-five finish in 15 races, placing second ahead of Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson, and Carson Hocevar to complete the top five.

Hamlin’s race began from the pole before he was sent to the rear after his team worked on the car following a flat tire in practice, handing the early advantage to Tyler Reddick. Hamlin nevertheless controlled much of Stage 1, which included an early crash involving rookie Connor Zilisch.

Stage 2 saw momentum swing among several contenders, with Brad Keselowski losing a lap after a flat left rear tire while Chase Elliott and Larson powered forward in their Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets. Chaos struck on Lap 83 when Hocevar clipped John Hunter Nemechek, triggering a multi-car wreck that also collected Wallace, Ty Gibbs, Reddick, and Austin Dillon.

Elliott went on to win Stage 2 over Jones, while Hamlin quietly worked his way into the top 10 by the end of the segment.

With 60 laps remaining, Elliott led Christopher Bell by just 0.4 seconds, with William Byron close behind. But the race turned sharply when Zane Smith crashed, setting up a crucial restart.

On the ensuing run, Elliott and Bell made contact between Turns 3 and 4, resulting in a violent crash that brought out a 20-minute red flag with 50 laps to go. Elliott accepted responsibility for the incident, calling it a mistake while attempting to capitalize on fresh tires.

“I was just trying to run the bottom and make use of our fresh tires, at least get to second,” Elliott said. “I got in there and got free… after I committed to spinning out, it just hooked up and sent Christopher into the wall super hard. I just stepped over the line. Totally my fault.”

The incident marked Elliott’s second DNF of the season and reshaped the final run to the finish, clearing the path for Hamlin’s late charge to Victory Lane. -Field Level Media/Reuters