Denny Hamlin Celebrates His 60th Victory with Emotion in Las Vegas
In a race full of drama at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Denny Hamlin achieved his sixth checkered flag of the season, marking his 60th career victory. The triumph, dedicated to his father, secures him a place in the NASCAR championship final. Hamlin, 44 years old and a three-time Daytona 500 winner, has been close to the Cup title, making this achievement a significant moment. The Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota driver, now tied for tenth place in NASCAR history with Kevin Harvick, couldn’t hold back the tears as he crossed the finish line. The victory in Las Vegas comes after an intense effort in the last ten laps, where Hamlin surpassed Kyle Larson and his teammate Chase Briscoe. Hamlin, visibly moved, dedicated the victory to his 75-year-old father, who introduced him to the world of motorsports and supported him throughout his career.With a tire strategy that included four new ones on the final stop, Hamlin climbed from fifth position, overtaking Joey Logano and then Larson and Briscoe. Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gayle, celebrated his biggest playoff breakthrough, highlighting the importance of the adjustments made during the final pit stop. Hamlin described this victory as the most significant of his career. The team owner, Joe Gibbs, also expressed his excitement at Hamlin’s dedication, reminding him of the personal significance of the victory. In the race, Larson finished second, followed by Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe. Tyler Reddick, who races for Hamlin’s team, 23XI Racing, finished fifth, and the defending Cup champion, Joey Logano, was sixth. Among the drivers in the playoffs, Chase Elliott finished in 18th position, while William Byron and Ryan Blaney had significant setbacks. Byron was involved in a crash that took him out of the race, while Blaney suffered a tire issue that relegated him to the end of the standings. Blaney, with problems in the race, will seek to recover at Talladega Superspeedway, where he has had success in the past. The next NASCAR race will take place next Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, where Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is the reigning champion.“I’m glad I was able to see victory number 60. That was very important to me,” Hamlin said.
Denny Hamlin
