Samwise NASCAR Cup Series Newsletter
Monday, June 8, 2026
Hamlin wins Michigan, ties Kyle Busch with 63rd career Cup win
Denny Hamlin overcame starting from the rear — penalized despite winning the pole — to win the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday. Hamlin survived the nine-car lap‑83 frontstretch pileup before seizing the lead on lap 163, then pulled away by more than 11 seconds over Erik Jones, with Bubba Wallace third to complete a Toyota 1-2-3 sweep. The victory was back-to-back for Hamlin and gave him his 63rd Cup win, tying the late Kyle Busch for ninth all time. In tribute, Hamlin waved Busch’s No. 18 flag from his car during the victory burnout.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Reddick DNF at Michigan slashes championship lead from 97 to 51 points
Tyler Reddick entered Michigan with a 97-point lead over Denny Hamlin and no finish worse than 15th in 14 races. He left 35th. Reddick’s No. 45 Toyota was swept up in the lap-83 frontstretch restart pileup involving nine cars, sustaining damage that ended his race after just 83 laps — his first DNF of 2026. Hamlin’s victory on the same day slashed the gap to 51 points, a swing of 46 in a single afternoon. With 21 races remaining before the playoffs, the championship race is suddenly very much alive.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Elliott–Bell crash damages SAFER barrier, triggers 20-minute red flag at Michigan
A violent crash between Chase Elliott and Christopher Bell on Lap 148 at Turn 4 brought out a red flag that lasted 20 minutes and 31 seconds at Michigan — the time needed to repair damage to the SAFER barrier. Elliott bobbled while battling Bell side-by-side in the final stage, shooting high into Bell’s No. 20 Toyota. Both cars hit the wall at nearly 200 mph, with the rear of Bell’s car erupting in flames. Neither driver returned to racing. The incident came with 53 laps remaining and significantly reshuffled the late-race strategy picture.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Christopher Bell dealing with wrist and ankle injuries after Michigan crash
Christopher Bell was transported to the infield care center after a violent crash with Chase Elliott on Lap 148 at Michigan. Elliott bobbled and shot high into Bell’s No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at nearly 200 mph; both drivers quickly exited their cars, and before loading into ambulances they shared a trackside embrace. Bell spent nearly an hour in the care center, was evaluated and released, and declined interview requests. JGR team owner Joe Gibbs indicated Bell’s wrist and ankle will need further evaluation when he returns to North Carolina.
Sources: Jayski
Nine-car restart pileup triggered by Hocevar eliminates championship leader Reddick
Carson Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet triggered a nine-car pileup on a lap-83 frontstretch restart at Michigan — one of the most consequential incidents of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season to date. The crash swept up championship leader Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, Ty Gibbs, Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, and John Hunter Nemechek. Reddick and Dillon were among those eliminated, while Hamlin suffered minor damage and rallied to win. Hocevar himself recovered to finish fifth. The pileup generated six additional yellow-flag laps with more than 100 laps remaining.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Post-race inspection complete: Hamlin’s win official, four cars sent to R&D Center
Denny Hamlin’s FireKeepers Casino 400 victory is now official following complete post-race inspection at Michigan International Speedway. NASCAR confirmed no issues with the winning No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Four cars were sent to the NASCAR Research and Development Center for engine dynamometer evaluation: No. 1 (Ross Chastain), No. 5 (Kyle Larson), No. 22 (Joey Logano), and No. 23 (Bubba Wallace). Hamlin had started from the rear after an unapproved pre-race adjustment — despite winning the pole — and led the final 38 laps to win by more than 11 seconds.
Sources: Jayski
Two car chiefs ejected for pre-race inspection failures at Michigan
Two car chiefs were ejected from Michigan International Speedway following NASCAR Cup Series pre-race inspection failures ahead of the FireKeepers Casino 400. Josh Sisco, car chief for the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford of Chris Buescher, was ejected after the car failed its first two attempts and cleared only on the third. Lee Leslie, car chief for the No. 44 NY Racing Team entry of JJ Yeley, was similarly ejected after the same sequence of failures. Both teams forfeited their pit stall selection. Neither car received further race-day penalties, as both ultimately passed on their third attempt.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Connor Zilisch records third straight DNF after crashing twice in first 10 laps
Nineteen-year-old Connor Zilisch extended his tough stretch at the Cup level with a third consecutive DNF at Michigan on Sunday. The No. 88 TrackHouse Racing Chevrolet first spun in Turn 4 on Lap 3, triggering the race’s opening caution, then made hard contact with the inside wall at Turn 2 exit on Lap 9, ending Zilisch’s afternoon after just eight laps. The crashes marked three straight races without a finish; Zilisch has completed roughly 15 percent of total laps across those starts. He won ten races in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series last season before graduating to the Cup level.
Sources: Motorsport.com
Cup Series Standings (Top 16)
After Michigan International Speedway
1. Tyler Reddick — 669 pts
2. Denny Hamlin — 618 pts
3. Ryan Blaney — 512 pts
4. Chase Elliott — 482 pts
5. Ty Gibbs — 470 pts
6. Kyle Larson — 453 pts
7. Carson Hocevar — 428 pts
8. Chris Buescher — 424 pts
9. Daniel Suarez — 418 pts
10. Christopher Bell — 410 pts
11. Bubba Wallace — 378 pts
12. William Byron — 377 pts
13. Chase Briscoe — 370 pts
14. Shane van Gisbergen — 355 pts
15. Brad Keselowski — 350 pts
16. Austin Cindric — 332 pts
Manufacturer Standings
After Toyota 1-2-3 sweep at Michigan
1. Toyota — leads
2. Chevrolet — 2nd
3. Ford — 3rd
* Exact manufacturer point totals pending official release
Curated by JD · samwise.agency