Hamlin conquers 60th victory in Las Vegas, dedication to his father.

Denny Hamlin Earns Victory 60 and Focuses on the Championship

With tears in his eyes and visibly emotional, Denny Hamlin celebrated his sixth checkered flag of the season, the 60th of his career. This victory at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway has a special meaning, as it secures him a place in the NASCAR championship final. Hamlin, 44 years old and three-time Daytona 500 winner, has dedicated this achievement to his father, who is facing health problems. This victory marks his return to the championship race since 2021.

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

Denny Hamlin

Hamlin, who is the driver with the most victories for Joe Gibbs Racing and now for Toyota, reached Kevin Harvick in tenth place on the NASCAR wins list. After an intense battle in the last ten laps, Hamlin surpassed Kyle Larson and his JGR teammate, Chase Briscoe. Hamlin commented that this victory is the most important of his career, especially dedicated to his 75-year-old father, who introduced him to the world of motorsport. Hamlin, after a pit stop to put on four new tires, rallied from fifth position. He overtook Joey Logano and then Larson to finally snatch the lead from Briscoe. The team leader, Chris Gayle, praised the adjustments made in the final stop, which allowed Hamlin to achieve his seventh victory of the season, the most since 2020. Joe Gibbs, moved by Hamlin’s dedication, expressed his emotion for the meaning of this victory for the driver. Larson, seeking to break a 20-race winless streak, finished second. Christopher Bell and JGR’s Chase Briscoe finished third and fourth, respectively. Tyler Reddick, who races for Hamlin at 23XI Racing, finished fifth, and Logano, the current Cup Series champion, was sixth. Of the first six, only Reddick is not in contention for the championship. Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Ryan Blaney are also competing for the title. Byron, after going off track, was overtaken by Larson. Subsequently, he was involved in an accident that took him out of the race. Blaney, who started the race in second place in the standings, suffered a major setback when a tire issue led him to crash into the wall in the first stage. He finished in 38th position and fell to the bottom of the eight drivers in contention for the championship. The next NASCAR event will be at the Talladega Superspeedway, where Blaney will seek a crucial victory.

Beyond the Track: Reddick and Edwards

Tyler Reddick, despite the health complications his son is facing, continues to compete. Rob Edwards, former director of the Andretti Global IndyCar team, debuted in NASCAR in his new role with TWG Motorsports. Edwards will serve as Director of Performance and will participate in all TWG projects, including NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA, and Cadillac’s new Formula 1 team. The next NASCAR event will be at the Talladega Superspeedway.