Hamlin charges to emotional 60th Cup win

LAS VEGAS -- Denny Hamlin became the archetypal operator to fastener successful a spot successful NASCAR's championship-deciding finale, winning Sunday astatine Las Vegas Motor Speedway for his career-goal 60th Cup Series triumph.

Hamlin, considered the champion operator successful NASCAR past to ne'er triumph a Cup title, is backmost successful the winner-take-all rubric contention for the archetypal clip since 2021. The winningest operator successful Joe Gibbs Racing past is tied for 10th connected NASCAR's vocation victories database with Kevin Harvick.

Hamlin, who was affectional 2 weeks agone erstwhile helium failed to triumph astatine Kansas Speedway successful a triumph helium hoped to dedicate to his ailing father, made bully connected it astatine Las Vegas. He said the triumph was for his father, who besides was rooting for his lad to deed the 60-win mark. Hamlin seemed to person tears successful his eyes erstwhile helium drove his Toyota to cod his 60th checkered flag.

"It decidedly means a lot. This is the constituent wherever I benignant of springiness the fans immoderate (crap), but not today," said Hamlin, who had to constitute himself connected the frontstretch. "I admit each of you truthful much. Obviously, privation to accidental hullo to my dad, household backmost astatine home, each the friends that came retired present for Vegas, hoping we get 60."

Hamlin took 4 tires connected the last restart and restarted successful fifth, but sliced his mode done traffic. He archetypal got past Logano, who had lone 2 caller tires, needed a fewer laps to tally Kyle Larson down connected the inside, and past yet took the pb from teammate Chase Briscoe, who was besides lone connected 2 tires.

This is the deepest successful the playoffs caller unit main Chris Gayle has ever precocious and Hamlin credited adjustments connected the last pit halt for getting him his sixth triumph of the play -- astir since 2020.

"Chris did an astonishing occupation connected that last halt getting the car conscionable right. I conscionable held it down," Hamlin said. "That's each I could do, is conscionable spell for it. I felt similar I had thing to lose. Just spell for it, effort to punch a summons now. I don't cognize what to say. It was precise unexpected, the past 15 laps I didn't deliberation we were going to win. I knew I was going to springiness it each I had."

Kyle Larson, seeking to extremity a 20-race losing streak, was 2nd successful a Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. JGR drivers Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe were 3rd and fourth, Tyler Reddick who drives for Hamlin astatine 23XI Racing was fifth, and reigning Cup Series champion Joey Logano was sixth.

Five of the apical six -- lone Reddick -- are inactive successful the playoff field. The others are Chase Elliott, who finished 18th; Daytona 500 victor William Byron was 36th and Ryan Blaney was past successful 38th.

Byron was retired beforehand and past wiggled retired of the groove with 35 laps remaining, saved his Chevrolet from crashing, but teammate Larson sailed past him for the lead. Minutes aboriginal helium was progressive successful a race-ending clang erstwhile helium drilled into the backmost of Ty Dillon, unaware that Dillon was slowing to caput to pit road.

"I ne'er saw him wave, I had nary denotation helium was pitting," Byron said. "I had zero idea. I americium conscionable devastated. Obviously, I wouldn't person driven full-speed into him."

The bottommost 4 drivers successful the playoff standings with 2 races remaining successful this circular are Byron, Elliott, Logano and Blaney.

Bad time for Blaney

Blaney, 2nd successful points astatine the commencement of the race, saw his rubric hopes instrumentality a terrible deed erstwhile a tyre contented caused him to clang into the partition with 9 laps remaining successful the archetypal stage.

His contention immedia...