Denny Hamlin Wins Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas

Denny Hamlin captured his 61st NASCAR Cup Series victory on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, overcoming an early penalty to lead a race-high 134 laps and secure a dominating win in the Pennzoil 400. The triumph marked his first since losing the championship four months earlier and came amid personal grief following the death of his father in a December house fire.

Hamlin, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, started second but faced a setback on Lap 86 when he and teammate Ty Gibbs received speeding penalties on pit road. Restarting from 31st, Hamlin methodically worked his way through the field, holding off a late charge from Chase Elliott to win by 0.502 seconds. The victory elevated him past Kevin Harvick into 10th place on the all-time wins list and made him the fifth driver to win in 20 different seasons, joining legends like Richard Petty and Jeff Gordon.

The win held deep emotional resonance for Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 champion still seeking his first Cup title. His previous victory at Las Vegas in October 2025 had locked him into the championship finale, which he dedicated to his ailing father, Dennis Hamlin. Though Hamlin dominated that Phoenix Raceway showdown, a...