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

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

In an emotional moment, Denny Hamlin, visibly moved, secured his sixth checkered flag at the circuit and reflected on the meaning of his achievement. Sunday’s victory at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 60th of his career, was dedicated to his father, who is facing health problems, and secured him 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 tenth on the NASCAR wins list, tied with Kevin Harvick. Hamlin couldn’t hold back the tears after an intense battle in the last ten laps, surpassing Kyle Larson and his JGR teammate, Chase Briscoe. Hamlin had been close to his 60th win at Kansas Speedway, but finally achieved the triumph in Las Vegas.

The victory is for my 75-year-old father, who always supported me and wanted me to reach 60 victories.

Denny Hamlin

Hamlin highlighted the importance of this triumph for his father, who introduced him to the world of motorsports and supported him throughout his career. Hamlin expressed his gratitude for being able to share this achievement with his father. After opting for four new tires at the last stop, Hamlin climbed from fifth position, overtaking Joey Logano and then Larson and Briscoe. This victory marks the best performance in the playoffs for the new crew chief, Chris Gayle, and is Hamlin’s seventh win of the season, his best mark since 2020. Joe Gibbs, moved by Hamlin’s dedication, also highlighted the emotion that this triumph generated in everyone. In the race, Larson finished in second place, followed by Christopher Bell and Briscoe. Tyler Reddick, who competes for 23XI Racing, and Logano completed the top six. Five of the top six are still competing in the playoffs. Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Ryan Blaney also participated in the race. Byron, after an incident, was involved in a crash that took him out of the race. Blaney, on the other hand, suffered a tire issue that affected his chances in the championship. Reddick, despite his son’s health complications, continues to compete. Reddick’s son, Rookie, will undergo surgery and will need medical attention. Rob Edwards, from the Andretti Global IndyCar program, made his NASCAR debut, taking on a new role at TWG Motorsports. The next NASCAR race will be held at the Talladega Superspeedway.