Denny Hamlin is truly living in the world of it doesn’t matter where you start, it’s where you finish.
For the second consecutive week, Hamlin went from the rear of the field to Victory Lane as he won at Michigan International Speedway for his third win of the season.
Hamlin, driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 car, won the pole but damage to his underbody from a flat tire in practice resulted in fixes that dropped him to the rear of the field for the start. That was no problem for Hamlin, who won at Michigan for the second consecutive year and fourth overall.
“Most athletes, they get to a point where they have everything they need,” team owner Joe Gibbs said in his postrace news conference. “And they just lose the drive and passion.
“And what we’re witnessing with Denny is really just the opposite of that. He’s full-blown into the simulator, works extremely hard. … He’s really helped build what we have [at JGR].”
Here are my takeaways:
1. Cool Tribute To Busch
Hamlin tied Kyle Busch for ninth on the all-time wins list with 63, and he celebrated by honoring Busch, who died of complications from pneumonia May 21, a day after being hospitalized.
Hamlin had a flag designed for the celebration that included Busch’s stylized No. 8 that he used since 2023 at Richard Childress Racing with a No. 1 in front of it to pay tribute to his days driving the No. 18 as Hamlin’s teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing.
Denny Hamlin paid tribute to the late Kyle Busch after winning in Michigan. (Photo by Brett Farmer/Getty Images)
“I’m thinking, do I put the 8 — I know him as the 18, I don’t know the right thing,” Hamlin said in his postrace news conference. “Then this person owns this font, that person owns this trademark. It’s like we had to have some collaboration, and I appreciate RCR letting us use the stylized 8 with the Joe Gibbs Racing 1.
“It was just a happy balance that I felt good about when it all came out. … I just wanted to pay my respects to someone that I really did look up to and taught me so much as a teammate. There’s nothing we can say or do that’s going to make his family feel better, but at least during that little time, you can pay him the respects that he deserves.”
2. Bell Takes Massive Hit
Christopher Bell will be evaluated for possible wrist and ankle injuries after a brutal crash where Chase Elliott unintentionally drifted up into him.
Both drivers got out of their cars under their own power.
“We’re going to continue [to have him treated] tonight when he gets home — we’re going to make sure that he gets everything he needs to get there, whatever it might be,” team owner Joe Gibbs said. “And then we’ll just have to kind of wait [to see if he can race]. It is his wrist and his ankle.”
3. Jones surging with second
Erik Jones has had progressively better results, and his second-place finish was his first top-five of the season. Like Hamlin, he also had to start at the rear.
Jones now sits just 18 points behind the playoff cutoff.
“Our group is rolling really well as a team, and we’re executing as well,” the Legacy Motor Club driver said. “We’ve just got to do every little thing right, and it will come. You run up front like that, it’s going to happen for you.”
4. Hocevar Causes Ire
Carson Hocevar finished fifth but was the subject of ire from other drivers for causing a multicar pileup when he got into the back of John Hunter Nemechek.
Hocevar said on the Prime postrace show that he was trying to avoid getting damage as the cars appeared to lift off the throttle in front of him.
Carson Hocevar’s style of racing continues to draw the ire of his competitors. (Photo by Brett Farmer/Getty Images)
“It looked like they kind of accordioned a little bit and I really didn’t expect it,” Hocevar said. “I turned left. … I’m shocked that it spun him left. Ultimately, my evasiveness wrecked him and everybody there.”
4 ½. What’s Next
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to the 2.5-mile triangular-shaped Pocono Raceway for its annual stop at another high-speed track.
It also is one of Hamlin’s best tracks. He has seven career victories at the track, which features three distinct and uniquely shaped turns, which means a driver typically can’t be perfect in all of them.
