Hamlin Thrills with Victory 60 in Las Vegas and Heads to NASCAR Final

Denny Hamlin Celebrates 60th Victory in Las Vegas, Dedicated to His Father

Amidst tears and visibly emotional, Denny Hamlin conquered his sixth checkered flag of the season at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This victory, the 60th of his career, has a special meaning, as he dedicated it to his father, who is facing health problems. This triumph, in addition to being a personal milestone, secures Hamlin a place in the NASCAR championship final. The driver, recognized as one of the most outstanding without having won a Cup Series title, returns to the race for the championship for the first time since 2021. Hamlin, who is also the driver with the most wins for Joe Gibbs Racing and for Toyota, tied for tenth place on the NASCAR wins list with Kevin Harvick.

“I am very happy that I was able to see victory number 60. That was very important to me,” Hamlin said.

Denny Hamlin

The final race was intense. Hamlin, after an exciting comeback in the last ten laps, overtook Kyle Larson and his teammate Chase Briscoe. Hamlin, visibly emotional, highlighted the importance of this victory for his father, who introduced him to the world of motorsports and supported him throughout his career. Hamlin, after a pit stop on the final restart, quickly climbed positions. First he overtook Joey Logano, who had worn tires, and then Larson and Briscoe. Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gayle, praised the adjustments made in the last pit stop, attributing to this his seventh victory of the season, the most since 2020. Joe Gibbs, moved by Hamlin’s dedication, expressed his emotion at the driver’s bond with his father. Larson, looking to break a winless streak, finished in second place. Christopher Bell and Briscoe, both from JGR, and Tyler Reddick, who races for Hamlin at 23XI Racing, rounded out the top five. Logano, the defending Cup Series champion, placed sixth. Of the top six, only Reddick is not in the fight for the championship. Other contenders like Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Ryan Blaney had less prominent performances. Byron, after a mistake, was overtaken by Larson and then was involved in a crash that took him out of the race. Blaney, with tire problems, suffered an accident that severely affected his title aspirations. Despite this, Blaney maintains an optimistic attitude for the next race at Talladega Superspeedway.

Tyler Reddick Competes Despite His Son’s Health

Tyler Reddick, who was eliminated from the playoffs last week, continues to compete while his son faces health complications. His wife, Alexa Reddick, reported that their four-month-old son, Rookie, requires surgery and needs a kidney removed.

Rob Edwards Debuts in NASCAR

Rob Edwards, former director of the Andretti Global IndyCar team, made his NASCAR debut this weekend in his new role with the ownership group. Edwards will assume the role of performance director of TWG Motorsports, an organization that owns teams in various motorsport disciplines. Edwards expressed his enthusiasm for this new challenge, anticipating attending several NASCAR races next year with Spire Motorsports.

Next Race

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