Man, Michigan is just one of those places. You think you have it figured out because it's a massive two-mile oval with plenty of room to breathe, but then the fuel mileage gods decide to play a joke on the field. That’s exactly what went down at the FireKeepers Casino 400. If you were looking for nascar results for michigan, you probably saw Denny Hamlin’s name at the top, but the "how" is way more interesting than the "who."
He ran out of gas. Seriously.
Denny took the checkered flag, did a burnout, and then his No. 11 Toyota just gave up the ghost. He had to be towed to Victory Lane. It’s kinda poetic, right? Winning a race on a literal empty tank while the guy who dominated all day—William Byron—was left staring at a gas pump in the pits.
The Heartbreak for William Byron
Honestly, you have to feel for the 24 team. Byron was the class of the field. He led 98 of the 200 laps and looked like he was cruising to an easy win. But that’s the thing about Michigan; the speeds are so high that if you aren’t saving, you’re sinking.
Hamlin was back in 11th on the final restart. Nobody really had him on their radar for the win. But while Byron was out front fighting off air and pushing his engine, Hamlin was "coasting" at 190 mph. He methodically picked off cars. By the time there were five laps to go, he was right on Byron’s bumper.
Byron’s crew chief, Rudy Fugle, had to make a choice. Do you tell your driver to save and let Hamlin pass, or do you go for it? They went for it.
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- The Lead Change: Hamlin grabbed the lead with four laps to go.
- The Pit Stop: Byron dove into the pits with two laps left because the engine was stumbling.
- The Result: Byron finished 28th. From 1st to 28th in three miles. Brutal.
Who Actually Showed Up in the Top 10?
While the fuel drama was sucking the air out of the room, some other guys put up massive runs. Chris Buescher is becoming a bit of a Michigan specialist, isn't he? He ended up P2, just about a second behind Hamlin. If the race was 201 laps, Buescher wins it going away.
Here is how the front of the pack shook out:
Denny Hamlin took the win, followed by Buescher. Ty Gibbs grabbed third, which is huge for that kid's confidence at a track this fast. Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson rounded out the top five.
The rest of the top ten featured Ross Chastain in 6th, Zane Smith with a season-best 7th (that caught a lot of people off guard), Kyle Busch in 8th, Ryan Preece in 9th, and Brad Keselowski—the local hero—clinging to 10th.
It was actually the first time all three RFK-affiliated cars (Buescher, Preece, and Keselowski) finished in the top ten together this season. That’s a massive win for Ford, even if they didn't get the big trophy.
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The Carson Hocevar "What If"
If you're a fan of the underdog, you were probably screaming at your TV for Carson Hocevar. The Michigan native was leading this race with 19 laps to go. Imagine that—a rookie winning his home track.
But luck is a fickle thing in NASCAR. He didn't run out of gas; he got a flat tire. He led 32 laps and looked like he belonged up there with the heavy hitters, but he ended up 29th. It’s one of those nascar results for michigan that the box score doesn't tell accurately. He was way better than his finish.
Tech Inspection and the Points Shakeup
Usually, after a wild finish like this, you're waiting for the other shoe to drop at the tech shed. Good news for Hamlin fans: the No. 11 cleared post-race inspection with no issues. The win is official.
In the standings, Byron actually kept his lead despite the 28th-place finish. He’d built up such a cushion with stage points—he swept the stages, basically—that he’s still 41 points up on Kyle Larson.
- William Byron: 576 points
- Kyle Larson: 535 points
- Denny Hamlin: 494 points
Hamlin’s win was his third of the 2025 season. It basically locks him into a high seed for the playoffs.
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What This Means for Your Next Move
If you're following the season closely, don't let the fuel mileage results fool you into thinking the Fords or Chevys are slow. They were fast. The Toyotas just played the strategy game better this time around.
For fans looking to dive deeper into the data, keep an eye on the "Green Flag Speed" metrics from this race. While Hamlin won, Byron and Larson were actually faster in clean air. That’s going to matter when we get to the playoffs and the tracks get even more technical.
Watch the tire wear patterns too. The early wreck involving Alex Bowman and Cole Custer—which brought out a 12-minute red flag—showed that the track was "taking" rubber differently than in previous years.
Next Steps for NASCAR Fans:
- Check the updated playoff bubble; Ryan Preece moved into the 16th spot by a razor-thin margin after his top-10 finish.
- Review the replay of the final ten laps to see how Hamlin used the "side-draft" to force Byron to burn more fuel.
- Keep an eye on the entry list for the next race, as several teams are expected to bring the same aero packages used at Michigan.