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Sunday, July 19, 2026
Charlotte, NC|Independent Local News
The Charlotte Mercury

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Person

Erik Jones

2026 Season — NASCAR Cup Series

16th
Position
446
Points
0
Wins
20
Starts

Through July 12, 2026 · 345 pts behind leader

Roles

Coverage (8 articles)

Denny Hamlin Has a 44-Point Lead and No Answer for Atlanta

Jack Beckett·

Denny Hamlin leads the Cup Series by 44 points with seven races left, but Sunday night the Quaker State 400 visits EchoPark Speedway, a drafting track where he has no top 10 all year. Tyler Reddick, the driver chasing him, is the defending winner and one of the best pack racers in the field. If Reddick can stop crashing, Atlanta is where the title math gets nervous.

Hamlin Grabs Pocono Pole

John Speedway·

Denny Hamlin was the last man out at Pocono and grabbed the Busch Light Pole by fifty-seven thousandths of a second, his fourth of the season. The bigger story is the streak: two straight wins, his best track in front of him, and a shot at the first three-race run of his career on Sunday.

Hamlin Charges From the Back to Win at Michigan, Honor an Old Friend

John Speedway·

Denny Hamlin drove from the rear of the field to win the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan for the second straight week, his 63rd career Cup win tying the late Kyle Busch for ninth all-time. He honored Busch with an 18-8 tribute flag, and with points leader Tyler Reddick wrecked out for his first DNF, cut the title gap to 51.

Hamlin Wins the Million From the Pole at Dover. The Million Goes to Mama.

John Speedway·

Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR All-Star Race from the pole at Dover Motor Speedway on Sunday, beat his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe in a side-by-side fight to the line, and became the third driver in the sport's history to win the All-Star at multiple tracks. Asked what he'd do with the $1 million check, he said he'd give it to his mother — a line that landed harder given his father's death in a December fire. The Cup field heads to Charlotte Motor Speedway next for the Coca-Cola 600.

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