Denny Hamlin’s title hopes took a massive blow on Sunday at Las Vegas. Getty
Denny Hamlin’s chances at winning an elusive first NASCAR Cup Series championship in 2026 got more challenging after Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was anything but an easy day for the driver of the No. 11, who finished 16th.
Denny Hamlin’s Difficult Day in Las Vegas
The beginning of the race looked promising for the 45-year-old. Hamlin grabbed the pole in Saturday’s qualifying session and led the early laps of the race.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver surrendered the lead to teammate Chase Briscoe prior to the end of Stage 1 but held serve in fourth position. However, in the closing laps of the opening stage, disaster bit Hamlin.
Hamlin spun out through turns 3 and 4 and suffered minor damage to the splitter of his No. 11 Toyota. Despite the spin, Hamlin stayed in the race but the damage to the splitter hindered his car’s speed.
Hamlin was mired back in the pack for the bulk of the 267-lap race. At the beginning of the final stage, Hamlin lost multiple positions prior to a restart due to fuel pressure problems.
Hamlin salvaged a 16th-place finish after being shuffled outside the top 20 after the early-race spin. Because of his spin, Hamlin did not earn any stage points. Larson, who finished second in the race, only totaled one stage point.
Hamlin missed out on a major opportunity to score stage points and cut away at the 26-point deficit he faced going into the South Point 400. After Las Vegas, Hamlin now trails Larson by 40 points.
Denny Hamlin Reflects on Tough Las Vegas Outing
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