Denny Hamlin Wins South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Denny Hamlin secured his 60th career NASCAR Cup Series victory yesterday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, capitalizing on late-race chaos in the South Point 400.
While Hamlin took the checkered flag, several drivers considered “underdogs” delivered notable performances. Noah Gragson, a Las Vegas native, finished 13th – his first top-15 result since the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway – after skillfully navigating a massive 23-lap restart incident. Gragson’s No. 4 Front Row Motorsports team also set a team record with an 8.19-second four-tire pit stop. This strong showing for Gragson comes as he looks to solidify his position heading into the 2026 season.
Other drivers making strides included Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who finished 14th and lost a friendly wager with Gragson, and Erik Jones, who rounded out the top 15, earning his first top-15 finish since Darlington. Rookie Riley Herbst also had a solid day for 23XI Racing, finishing 17th, a result that adds to his eight top-20 finishes this season. The NASCAR Cup Series standings are constantly shifting as the playoffs progress; you can find the latest information on the official NASCAR website.
Despite a strong showing for much of the race, Shane van Gisbergen was caught in the late-race accident, finishing 33rd, while Carson Hocevar also saw his promising run end prematurely in the same incident. Officials stated they will review the incident to determine if any further action is necessary.
