NASCAR: Denny Hamlin’s Tough Gateway Race Ends With a Troubling Result

DARLINGTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 05: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 05, 2026 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) GettyDenny Hamlin left World Wide Technology Raceway with a ninth-place finish and the NASCAR Cup Series points lead still intact after a chaotic playoff race. Kyle Larson won at Gateway and cut into Hamlin&rsqu