By Holly Cain; NASCAR Wire Service
Brooklyn, Mich. (June 7, 2026) — On an action-packed afternoon where perseverance proved as important as raw speed, veteran Denny Hamlin pulled off an amazing run from the rear of the starting grid to claim the checkered flag taking his second consecutive and fourth overall trophy in the NASCAR Cup Series’ FireKeepers Casino 400 at a sold-out Michigan International Speedway.
The massive effort marked Hamlin’s 63rd career win – tying him with the late Kyle Busch for ninth-place on the NASCAR Cup Series all-time wins list. And as importantly, the showing – combined with points leader Tyler Reddick’s first DNF of the season – cut Hamlin’s deficit to Reddick nearly in half. He now trails him by only 51 points with 11 races left to settle the NASCAR Cup Series regular season title.
Hamlin, 45, celebrated the milestone victory – his third of the year and second consecutive last-to-first efforts in as many weeks - by waving a black and white No. 18 “Kyle Busch” flag outside his driver’s window driving around the track for a victory lap – capped by a long burnout.
The ode to the two-time series champ Busch, Hamlin’s former teammate who passed away suddenly two weeks ago from pneumonia and sepsis, received huge applause and a standing ovation from the massive grandstand crowd.
A nine-car chain-reaction wreck early in the race eliminated championship leader, and the 2024 Michigan winner Reddick from contention. Another dramatic incident with frontrunners Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell with 51 laps to go necessitated a 20-minute red flag to repair the track wall.
The NASCAR Cup Series moves to another of its traditional venues next week, Pocono (Raceway, for Sunday’s Great American Getaway 400 at the famous 2.5-miler.