Hamlin chasing NASCAR driver’s title, owner’s championship

Denny Hamlin the driver finds himself in the most enviable of positions heading into Saturday night's race at Bristol, his second-place run at Kansas Speedway over the weekend nearly ensuring his spot in the next round of the playoffs. The car he was chasing down in the waning laps of Sunday's race happened to be the No. 45 driven by Bubba Wallace for 23XI Racing, which is owned by Hamlin and Hall of Fame basketball star Michael Jordan. The victory pushed the team into the next round in the race for the owner's championship, the somewhat lesser-known NASCAR Cup Series title.