Denny Hamlin Conquers Las Vegas and Secures a Spot in the NASCAR Final
With tears in his eyes and visibly emotional, Denny Hamlin celebrated his sixth victory of the season at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway oval. This triumph, the 60th of his career, is a milestone dedicated to his father, who is facing health problems. The victory on Sunday not only represents a personal achievement for Hamlin, but also secures him a place in the NASCAR championship final. This success marks his return to the title race since 2021. Hamlin, recognized as the driver with the most wins without a Cup title, tied Kevin Harvick for tenth place on the NASCAR all-time wins list. After an intense battle in the last ten laps, Hamlin overtook Kyle Larson and his Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammate, Chase Briscoe.Hamlin, visibly moved, dedicated the victory to his 75-year-old father, who introduced him to the world of motorsports at an early age. In the last pit stop, Hamlin chose to change all four tires, which allowed him to move up from fifth position to victory. This strategy, along with the adjustments made by his new crew chief, Chris Gayle, gave him his seventh victory of the season, the most since 2020. Joe Gibbs, founder of JGR, expressed his emotion for Hamlin’s dedication, highlighting the emotional significance of the victory. Kyle Larson, seeking to break a 20-race winless streak, took second place. Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe, both JGR drivers, finished third and fourth, respectively. Tyler Reddick, racing for 23XI Racing, and Joey Logano rounded out the top six. The race also left bittersweet moments. William Byron, who was leading the race, lost control and subsequently was involved in a crash with Ty Dillon, resulting in his abandonment. Ryan Blaney, with tire issues, also suffered an accident, which significantly affected his chances in the championship. The next NASCAR race will take place at the Talladega Superspeedway. Additionally, Tyler Reddick, despite the health challenges his son faces, continues to compete. Rob Edwards, from the Andretti Global IndyCar team, made his NASCAR debut as part of the ownership group of TWG Motorsports.I am very happy that you were able to see victory number 60. That was very important to me.
Denny Hamlin
