Denny Hamlin’s NASCAR Cup Series championship cushion took a major hit Sunday night after contact with Michael McDowell sent him into the wall during the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Hamlin entered the 10-race NASCAR playoffs as the regular-season champion with a 25-point advantage over Ryan Blaney. After finishing 18th at Darlington, that lead fell to 12 points over Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell, who won the playoff opener.
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The No. 11 Toyota showed strong pace early, and Hamlin scored points in both stages. But a slow pit stop after Stage 2 dropped him into traffic. Bell took advantage of the race’s late chaos, earning his...
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