Denny Hamlin started Sunday's FireKeepers Casino 400 from the rear of the field and still beat the rest of the NASCAR Cup Series to the line by more than 11 seconds, the widest winning margin of his career and Michigan International Speedway's biggest since 1991.
Hamlin had qualified on pole but was sent to the back at the green flag after his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was penalised for unapproved adjustments. He worked through the 400 miles patiently before taking the lead for good on a three-wide restart pass with 38 laps to run, then pulled clear by 11.110 seconds.
"This Joe Gibbs team just keeps giving me amazing race cars," Hamlin said. "This Toyota was just amazing. And, at the last run there, it just hammered down."
It was the 63rd Cup victory of Hamlin's career, tying him with the late Kyle Busch, his former Gibbs teammate who died earlier this season, for ninth on the all-time wins list. Hamlin smoked the tyres down the frontstretch in tribute and radioed "We love you, KB" on his cool-down lap.
"Truthfully, I had to outlive him to tie him," Hamlin said of Busch.
The win, his third of 2026 and a second straight at Michigan, also fell days after the death of 1965 Cup champion Ned Jarrett, who like Hamlin carried the No. 11. "We lost Gentleman Ned, the original badass of the 11," Hamlin said. "We're still thinking of Kyle, Samantha, Brexton, Lennix."
"I'm all right. Just a bummer for our Camry," Reddick said. "Felt like we had really good speed."
Austin Dillon, also caught up in the incident, was blunt. "Our Chevy was really fast. It's super unfortunate," he said. "And I've seen one replay, but it looked like (Carson Hocevar) got into (John Hunter Nemechek) and turned him across."
Bubba Wallace, who recovered to finish third, questioned the young driver's approach. "He's one of the fastest in the field, and that's his natural ability," Wallace said. "He's fast. He's going for every move, every second. Not worth it. He's creating a lot of enemies."
Hocevar accepted the blame afterward. "Man, I didn't mean to do that. I obviously feel bad I wrecked them, but my intention wasn't to tear them up or wreck them by any means," he said. "Next time I know what to do a little differently there."
The result tightens Hamlin's grip on a strong season and pushes him level with one of the era's most prolific winners, a milestone made bittersweet by the man he drew alongside on the list.
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*Originally published on [Motorsports Global](https://motorsports.global/article/hamlin-storms-from-last-to-win-michigan-ties-kyle-busch). Visit for full coverage.*
