Denny Hamlin's aircraft lands in Napa two days before the Sonoma NASCAR race

Denny Hamlin's Bombardier Challenger 601, tail N400DH, was tracked departing Los Angeles International Airport at 04:56 UTC on June 26 and arriving at Napa County Airport just over an hour later, at 06:03 UTC. The aircraft climbed to 32,025 feet and reached a maximum ground speed of 487 knots.

If Denny Hamlin was aboard, he would arrive in California's wine country the same week the NASCAR Cup Series is set to race at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday, June 28. The race follows a two-week stretch of road and street courses, including last weekend's historic event on Naval Base Coronado, as covered by beyondtheflag.com. Hamlin's recent form — three consecutive oval wins before Coronado — makes the Sonoma road course a key test for the championship contender.

Hamlin, 45, is in the first year of a two-year contract he has said will be his last as a full-time driver. Beyond his own No. 11 Toyota, he co-owns 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan, giving him a vested interest in the performance of the team's two other cars at Sonoma. The flight to Napa, the closest general-aviation airport to the track, fits a familiar pre-race travel pattern for drivers based outside California.