Excited Hamlin: Victory 60 and NASCAR Final Dedicated to His Father

Denny Hamlin Celebrates His 60th Victory with Emotion in Las Vegas

With tears in his eyes and visibly emotional, Denny Hamlin achieved his sixth checkered flag at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, marking a significant milestone in his career. This victory, the 60th of his career, represents a personal achievement dedicated to his father, who is facing health problems. In addition, it secures Hamlin a place in the NASCAR championship final. Hamlin, 44 years old and three-time Daytona 500 winner, returns to the championship race for the first time since 2021. He is the most successful driver for Joe Gibbs Racing and now also for Toyota. The Virginia driver is in tenth place on the NASCAR wins list, tied with Kevin Harvick.

“I am very happy that I was able to see victory number 60. That was very important to me.”

Denny Hamlin

Hamlin couldn’t contain his emotion after an intense race, surpassing Kyle Larson and his JGR teammate, Chase Briscoe. Hamlin revealed that this victory is especially significant, dedicated to his 75-year-old father, who introduced him to the world of motorsports. Hamlin, after a strategic pit stop, managed to climb from fifth position to the top, surpassing Joey Logano, Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe. Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gayle, highlighted the importance of this victory, Hamlin’s seventh of the season, his best record since 2020. Joe Gibbs, moved by Hamlin’s dedication, expressed his emotion for the personal significance of the victory. In the race, Kyle Larson took second place, followed by Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe. Tyler Reddick, who races for Hamlin’s 23XI Racing, finished fifth, and Joey Logano, the defending champion, in sixth place. Five of the top six finishers are still competing in the playoffs. William Byron, after losing control of his vehicle, collided with Ty Dillon, resulting in an accident that took him out of the race. The four drivers at the bottom of the playoff standings, with two races remaining, are Byron, Elliott, Logano, and Blaney.

Blaney Suffers Setback in Title Aspirations

Ryan Blaney, who started the race in second place in the standings, suffered a hard blow to his title hopes when he crashed into the wall due to a tire problem, finishing in 38th position. Blaney, the 2023 Cup Series champion, is now in a critical situation in the playoffs. The next race will be at Talladega Superspeedway, where Blaney has won three times and feels confident about getting a victory.

Tyler Reddick Competes Despite Family Hardships

Tyler Reddick, who was eliminated from the playoffs last week, continues to compete while his son faces serious health issues. Reddick’s son, Rookie, needs surgery and will have a kidney removed. His wife, Alexa Reddick, announced that Rookie will undergo surgery on Tuesday and will be monitored.

Rob Edwards Debuts in NASCAR

Rob Edwards, former director of the Andretti Global IndyCar team, made his NASCAR debut this weekend in his new role with the ownership group. Edwards will assume the role of performance director of TWG Motorsports, an organization led by Dan Towriss. Edwards was enthusiastic about the new challenge after almost three decades in IndyCar, and plans to attend several NASCAR races next year.

Next Stop: Talladega Superspeedway

The next NASCAR race will be held at Talladega Superspeedway, where Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is the current winner.