NASCAR Cup Series: Denny Hamlin’s Darlington Night Turns Into a Painful Playoff Setback

DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 05: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota, on the grid during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 05, 2026 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) GettyDenny Hamlin left Darlington Raceway with a result far below what he expected after the NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener. The regular-season champion finished 18th in the Cook Out Southern 500 after lea