Denny Hamlin was proud of his relentless driving at Michigan after he took the lead en route to the largest victory margin of his NASCAR Cup Series career. And it was the biggest win margin seen at Michigan too since 1991, as Hamlin won the FireKeepers Casino 400 by 11.110 seconds, his second consecutive victory after Nashville.

The goal for Hamlin was simple, and it did not rely on tire strategies or defensive driving. “So, you know, I just had, I wanted to have a no mercy last run and then see how big I could stretch it out. So that was fun,” he said.

The moment when it all changed was when the race had 38 laps to go, and Hamlin charged past Spire Motorsport's Chevy drivers Daniel Suarez and Carson Hocevar, effectively ending all Chevrolet hopes for the win.

Reflecting on the pass, Hamlin said, “Yeah, I truthfully didn't think that we were gonna clear. I think that, you know, being with the three wide, they were still dragging each other, and so I couldn't, you know, it allowed me to get clear there.”

The minute he made the pass, a realization struck Hamlin. “Once we got clear and I drove in the corner with nobody in front of me for the first time today, I was like, ‘Oh man, this thing is just unbelievable,’” he said.

This result is remarkable because Hamlin started at the rear of the field despite having dominated and won the pole the day before. And he did the same in Nashville as well the week before it.

With this, let’s take a look at where the season stands for the JGR driver as of now and the road ahead.

Pocono presents another opportunity for Hamlin

Hamlin’s win at Michigan has just strengthened what promises to be one of the best seasons for the driver. He already stands second in the standings with 618 points, trailing only Tyler Reddick (-51 points). His back-to-back wins at Michigan and Nashville have helped him catch up well.

His run is now favored to continue at Pocono, which has statistically been Hamlin’s best track. He has led around 858 laps at the speedway, more than any other active driver on the grid.

Furthermore, Hamlin owns a record seven Cup Series wins at the “Tricky Triangle,” including victories in 2023 and 2025, also more than any driver in series history.

With three wins in the last four events at Pocono, the No. 11 team, led by Hamlin, enters the weekend as a clear favorite, thus promising that Hamlin’s championship run is only getting better from here.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Uday Jakhar

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason