Hamlin achieves victory 60 and advances to the NASCAR final with an emotional triumph

Denny Hamlin Earns 60th Victory in Las Vegas and Heads to Championship Final

With tears in his eyes and visibly emotional, Denny Hamlin celebrated his sixth checkered flag of the season, the 60th of his career, at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway oval. This victory represents a significant milestone, dedicated to his father, who is facing health issues. This triumph not only marks a personal achievement for Hamlin, but also secures him a place in the NASCAR championship final. Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner, and considered one of the most outstanding drivers who have never won the Cup title, returns to the championship race for the first time since 2021.

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

Denny Hamlin

Hamlin, currently tied for tenth place on the NASCAR wins list, overtook Kyle Larson and his Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammate, Chase Briscoe, in the final laps of the race. The visibly moved Virginia driver dedicated the victory to his father, who introduced him to the world of motorsport and supported him throughout his career. Hamlin executed an impressive final restart, advancing from fifth position and overtaking Joey Logano and Briscoe, who had fewer new tires. This victory is Hamlin’s seventh of the season, his highest number since 2020, and highlights the work of his new crew chief, Chris Gayle. In the race, Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports took second place, followed by Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe of JGR, Tyler Reddick and Joey Logano. William Byron, who had an incident on the track, was involved in a crash that took him out of the race. The drivers who are in the last positions of the playoffs standings, with two races remaining in this round, are Byron, Chase Elliott, Logano and Ryan Blaney.

Ryan Blaney Suffers a Setback in Las Vegas

Ryan Blaney, who started the race in second position in the standings, suffered a hard blow to his title aspirations, after a tire problem led him to crash into the wall in the first stage. Blaney, the defending Cup champion, finished in 38th place and fell to the bottom of the playoff standings. Blaney, who is a three-time winner at Talladega Superspeedway, is in a “must-win” situation for the upcoming race.

Update on Tyler Reddick

Tyler Reddick, who was eliminated from the playoffs last week, continues to compete while his son faces health complications. Reddick’s four-month-old son needs surgery and is undergoing medical treatment.

Rob Edwards’ NASCAR Debut

Rob Edwards, the historic director of the Andretti Global IndyCar team, made his NASCAR debut this weekend in his new role with the ownership group. Edwards will serve as performance director for TWG Motorsports, the organization led by Dan Towriss. Edwards will attend several NASCAR races next year with Spire Motorsports.

Next Race

The next NASCAR race will take place next Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, where Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is the current winner.