Denny Hamlin scored an emotional victory and claimed a significant career milestone with a dramatic win in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series’ South Point 400 Playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Hamlin passed two cars in the final 10 laps, ultimately taking the lead from his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe with four laps remaining then holding off the day’s most dominant driver Kyle Larson by 1.533s to claim his series’ best sixth win of the season and 60th win of his career.
The win secures the first of four positions in the Nov. 2 Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway – landing Hamlin his first title shot since 2021.
Hamlin was notably moved in the moments after climbing out of his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Instead of the typical playful banter the veteran normally delivers to the crowd after a win, the 44-year-old Virginian spoke more solemnly, mentioning his father Dennis, who has been ill.
“This win means a lot. This is the point where I kind of give the fans some [grief] but not today. I appreciate you all so much,