Hamlin’s Las Vegas masterclass
Denny Hamlin ripped to victory at Las Vegas, leading 134 laps and charging from 35th to first in roughly 100 laps to claim his 10th career Cup win — a mark that moved him past Kevin Harvick in the all‑time wins list. The drive was framed as a comeback from a penalty and a reminder of Hamlin’s adaptability across changing cars and race conditions. ( #)
Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway ran on March 15, 2026, as the fifth points race of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. (nascar.com) The win was Hamlin’s first of the 2026 season, marked as the 61st victory of his Cup Series career and his third career triumph at Las Vegas. (nascar.com) Hamlin was assessed a pit‑road speeding penalty during the stage break on Lap 83 and was forced to restart deeper in the field before reclaiming the lead following a late restart with roughly 50 laps to go. (lvms.com) (nascar.com) The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota held off a late charge from Chase Elliott, beating him by 0.502 seconds at the finish as Elliott and William Byron completed the podium in second and third. (msn.com) (wikipedia.org) Christopher Bell took Stage 1, William Byron won Stage 2, and Kyle Larson led 62 laps during the race before fading in the late run. (nascar.com) Tyler Reddick, winner of the first three races of the season, slipped to 13th at Las Vegas but retained the Cup points lead by 61 points over Bubba Wallace after the event. (nascar.com) Hamlin, 45, said the victory came after a difficult run following last November’s Phoenix championship heartbreak and credited a recent refocus for restoring his confidence behind the wheel. (nascar.com)
