For the second straight week, Denny Hamlin came from the rear to the front to win his third NASCAR Cup race this year and tie former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch for ninth on the all-time win list with 63 victories.
“We love you, KB,” Hamlin said over his two-way radio after receiving the checkered flag.
After Hamlin took his cool-down lap, the 45-year-old driver stopped at the finish line and waited for a crew member to bring him a large black flag with Busch’s car number and signature on it. He then executed a reverse victory lap down the front stretch. When he arrived at the fourth turn exit, he turned the car around and did a burnout down the front stretch to the finish line.
He exited his car to a rousing sold-out crowd and carried the Kyle Busch flag with him as he walked up the banked front stretch to receive the checkered flag.
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Denny Hamlin leading Carson Hocevar during the FireKeepers Casino 400.’ expand=
“This Joe Gibbs team just keeps giving me amazing race cars,” said Hamlin, who finished 11.110 seconds ahead of runner-up Erik Jones. “Had a few good restarts, and once we got to the lead, I was going to lay it out.”
Hamlin’s 11.110 seconds margin of victory was the largest of his career. It was his second consecutive victory at the two-mile Michigan track and his fourth overall.
“This Joe Gibbs team just keeps giving me amazing race cars.”
Hamlin earned the pole for the FireKeepers Casino 400, but, along with five other cars including Jones, had to go to the rear for the start of the race due to unapproved adjustments. It marked the second straight week Hamlin has claimed the pole and then had to go to the rear. A week ago, at Nashville Superspeedway, NASCAR sent him to the rear for jumping the start. Slowly, he worked his way through the field at Nashville, and he did the same Sunday at Michigan.
Hamlin ended Stage 1 in 25th and began Stage 2 in 32nd due to a pit stop. He had advanced into the top 10 by lap 83. However, he was involved in a nine-car crash on the restart following the fifth caution period. Hamlin spun his car, escaped the melee without damage, and restarted 24th. He ended Stage 2 in eighth and restarted the final Stage in seventh.
A vicious crash involving Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell on lap 148 halted the race for 20 minutes 31 seconds while NASCAR repaired the fourth-turn SAFER barrier. Elliott escaped injury, but The Athletic reported Bell suffered wrist and angle injuries. By this time, Hamlin had maneuvered his way into fifth.
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Hamlin took four tires on his Toyota during his final stop and when the event’s second nine-car crash occurred he was sitting third. For the restart, he opted for the outside lane behind leader Daniel Suarez, and then after assessing his competitors, he picked his moment to shoot into the lead on lap 162 of the 200-lap race. Hamlin led the final 39 laps to bring his total for the event to 40.
“The off-season, it was rough for me, it was rough for the NASCAR family, we lost a lot of people,” said Hamlin, whose father died in late December when his parents’ house burned. “This week we lost “Gentleman Ned” (Jarrett), the original badass of the (No.) 11. We’re still thinking of Kyle, Samantha, Brexton, Lennix (Busch).
“You know, 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. I just love we’re making the best of it.”
A North Carolina native, Deb Williams is an award-winning motorsports journalist who is in her fourth decade covering auto racing. In addition to covering the sport for United Press International, she has written motorsports articles for several newspapers, magazines and websites including espnW.com, USA Today, and The Charlotte Observer. Her awards include the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence, two-time National Motorsports Press Association writer of the year, and two-time recipient of the Russ Catlin award. She also has won an award in the North Carolina Press Association’s sports feature category. During her career, Deb has been managing editor of GT Motorsports magazine and was with Winston Cup Scene and NASCAR Winston Cup Scene for 18 years, serving as the publication’s editor for 10 years. In 2024 she was inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame.