The Michigan race this past Sunday was anything but predictable — from tire strategy to fuel saving, there was everything. Denny Hamlin may have taken home the win, but the chaos around him had everyone talking, including Hamlin himself.
On his podcast ‘Actions Detrimental,’ Hamlin opened up about how wild the race turned out to be. And no one seemed more stunned than Hamlin himself.
Denny Hamlin Hustles While the Favorites Falter
Hamlin’s been around for a while — he’s got nearly 60 Cup wins now — and races the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. But Michigan was a different kind of win for him. It wasn’t about raw speed or track position. It was all about strategy and timing.
While others were sweating over fuel mileage, Hamlin and his crew played it smart. He started outside the top 10 on a late restart, but while the front-runners nervously backed off the throttle to save gas, Hamlin was charging through like he had a full fuel tank. When the dust settled, he cruised to victory lane with fuel to spare.
And there was enough fuel left for a burnout. 😏 pic.twitter.com/9L4pR43Kit
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 8, 2025
Meanwhile, William Byron looked like he had the whole race in his pocket. He led a race-high of 98 laps and even won the initial stage, too. But leading a pack isn’t exactly ideal when the drivers are trying to save fuel, and that came back to bite him big time.
With just one and a half laps to go, right as he exited Turn 4, the No. 24 Chevy ended up emptying his fuel tank completely and dropping all the way down. Byron rolled into pit road and finished a painful 28th.
Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and Christopher Bell – Michigan Mayhem
Kyle Larson had his own messy day. Having started from fifth, he navigated through a speeding penalty, finished Stage 1 in P7, and went further down to P12 by the end of Stage 2. But he managed to finish the race in fifth place, which still felt like a letdown. Normally a top-three machine, the No. 5 driver knew it wasn’t up to his usual standards — and Hamlin noticed it too.
Besides Larson, Ryan Blaney came in hot after winning in Nashville, but that fire got snuffed out fast. A spin around Turn 4 ended any shot at another win, and he limped home in 32nd. It was a significant fall for the 2023 Cup champion.
Then Joey Logano, another name fans expected near the front, had a quiet and frustrating day. Starting 15th, he just couldn’t find speed and managed a disappointing 22nd-place finish. Christopher Bell has had a strong season overall, but just like other big names, he also faltered in Michigan. He dropped to fourth in the standings after finishing 16th.
With many big names failing to rise to the occasion, even Hamlin was left stunned as they couldn’t get a foothold near the front.
On the latest episode of his podcast, Hamlin mentioned, “The 12 (Blaney) is never out to lunch like it never has. Like Joey had a tough day yesterday — was way back there in the high 20s… Same with the 24 (Byron), you really don’t see it. The 5 (Larson), you don’t see it. The 20 (Bell) has had, it seemed like the bigger tracks actually has not been as good for the 20 this year.”
Still, all of these drivers have already locked themselves into the playoffs thanks to earlier race wins, so the damage isn’t too deep, yet. But races like this are a clear reminder: just because someone’s fast on paper doesn’t mean Sunday will go their way.
Hamlin may have shocked himself with how the race unfolded, but his fuel-saving masterclass was a clinic. And for the others, Michigan was one big missed opportunity.