Denny Hamlin wins Michigan NASCAR race, ties Kyle Busch

Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, tying the late Kyle Busch for ninth on the all-time wins list and delivering a poignant tribute to his former teammate. For the second consecutive week, Hamlin started at the rear of the field and drove to victory, this time winning by a commanding 11.11 seconds over Erik Jones.

Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, earned the pole position but was forced to start from the back after his team made unapproved repairs to the car's underbody following a flat tire in practice. He overcame an early spin during a multi-car incident and executed a decisive three-wide pass for the lead with 38 laps remaining, never facing a serious challenge thereafter. The win was his third of the season and his fourth career victory at Michigan.

The triumph marked Hamlin's 63rd career Cup Series win, drawing him even with Busch, who died unexpectedly on May 21 at age 41. The two were teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing for 15 years. During his victory lap, Hamlin held a custom flag out his window that combined Busch's stylized No. 8 from his time at Richard Childress Racing with a No. 1, paying homage...