Denny Hamlin wins for the first time this year in Las Vegas

The match was magnificent throughout the Las Vegas event between the Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing (Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell) and the Chevrolets of Hendrick Motorsports (Chase Elliott, William Byron, Kyle Larson). While the Toyotas led the early stages of the race, a series of pit penalties, notably for Hamlin, who was too fast on entry, allowed the Chevrolets to take the lead in the second stage.

Having restarted last after his penalty, Hamlin patiently worked his way back through the field, eventually finishing fifth in the second segment and positioning himself perfectly to be in contention in the final part of the race. Towards the end, after overtaking his teammate Christopher Bell, Hamlin had to battle against a charging Chase Elliott, and the runner-up... NASCAR Cup Series 2025 finally wins his 61st career victory.

After the bitter defeat in Phoenix at the end of last year, and the death of his father Dennis in the off-season, Denny Hamlin does not hide the fact that this start of the season has been key to rediscovering his love for motorsport, which was also damaged by a long lawsuit against NASCAR with his 23XI Racing team, which was finally settled amicably.

"I knew it would take me a few weeks to regain the desire to fly.", he explained. "Over the past two weeks, I've really rediscovered my passion for this sport and regained my focus. These are fantastic opportunities for us."

A few months after his last victory on this same Las Vegas oval, Denny Hamlin appeared deeply moved once again, this time for very different reasons. This victory brings with it a renewed sense of optimism and joy. At 45, the Tampa, Florida native continues to perform at the highest level, and who knows, perhaps he might finally win the title that has eluded him for twenty years?

NASCAR 2026 – Las Vegas
The classification of the race

ALSO READ > Alex Bowman out for a second consecutive race