Surrounded by his household, Denny Hamlin secured an emotional win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, taking sole possession of tenth place on the all-time wins listing and breaking a tie with Kevin Harvick.
It was a race dominated by Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports, with their drivers combining to steer 253 of 267 laps. Impressively, there was just one pure warning throughout your entire occasion, and all 36 starters reached the checkered flag in a surprisingly clear race.
This is a have a look at the largest winners and losers from Vegas:
WINNER: Denny Hamlin proves an ‘previous canine can nonetheless hunt’
Watch: Victorious Hamlin celebrates ‘household sport’ of racing
Hamlin has been very open concerning the influence of his father’s tragic passing on him as he bought again behind the wheel for the 2026 season. However on Sunday, he erased any doubts that he might have misplaced a step following his brutal 2025 title defeat and the low season tragedy that adopted. He even fought again from a mid-race dashing penalty, rapidly making his method again to the entrance of the sphere. After the race, he mentioned an “previous canine can nonetheless hunt,” and this 45-year-old is a transparent title contender as soon as once more.
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LOSER: Trackhouse struggles, and clashes with its former driver
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Intermediate tracks have traditionally been amongst Trackhouse’s strongest and Ross Chastain led all lively drivers with the very best Subsequent Gen common end at Vegas forward of the weekend. And but, they have been nowhere on Sunday. None of their three drivers scored any stage factors, and Chastain was their highest-finishing driver in seventeenth. Connor Zilisch’s tough rookie season continued, and his spin was the one incident of the race. Shane van Gisbergen almost spun as nicely, and regardless of a fantastic save, ended up ending useless final, dropping eleven positions within the championship standings. And to high all of it off, Chastain bought into it with ex-Trachouse driver Daniel Suarez after the race in a heated post-race confrontation.Â
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WINNER: Hendrick again to type after slow-ish begin to 2026
Watch: Chase Elliott has ‘combined emotions’ after Vegas runner-up
Hendrick Motorsports have had a median begin to the yr, at the least by their requirements, however any questions on their potential vanished on Sunday. HMS drivers completed second [Chase Elliott], third [William Byron], and seventh [Kyle Larson]. Each Larson and Byron spent a while out entrance as nicely, and Byron gained Stage 2. They’ve but to achieve Victory Lane, however there at the moment are three Hendrick drivers within the high eight within the championship standings, and they’re the plain leaders of Workforce Chevy once more.
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LOSER: Ryan Blaney picks a nasty time to pit
Ryan Blaney, Workforce Penske
Photograph by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Photos
Vegas was a quiet day for Workforce Penske, however Blaney was taking advantage of it, working solidly inside the highest ten for a big portion of the race. Sadly, he was on pit highway when the one and solely pure warning of the race broke out on the frontstretch. Within the last run of the race, he was solely capable of make his method again as much as sixteenth, falling to 3rd in factors behind Bubba Wallace.
WINNER: RFK have been the very best of the remaining in a stable displaying
Chris Buescher, RFK Racing
Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Photos
RFK Racing was a pleasant shock on Sunday, they usually asserted themselves because the ‘better of the remaining’ behind the Hendrick/JGR fleets. Chris Buescher completed sixth, Brad Keselowski tenth, and Ryan Preece eleventh for the historic workforce. All three are contained in the Chase area in the intervening time, and final yr, all three missed the playoffs, so robust factors days like this shall be vital for them to keep away from an identical destiny this yr.
LOSER: A dashing Briscoe spends a lot of the race trapped a lap down
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Chase Briscoe, Joe Gibbs Racing
Photograph by: Sean Gardner / Getty Photos
Chase Briscoe spent about 170 laps off the lead lap on Sunday as a result of an early dashing penalty, however when he lastly bought the free move through the last warning, the #19 confirmed what it was able to. Briscoe rocketed by way of the sphere, driving from the very again to complete eighth within the last green-flag run. It was a stable effort, however he understandably noticed it as a missed alternative. He did make some floor in factors after a disasterous begin to 2026, however he is nonetheless solely twenty sixth after 5 races. Additionally, he bought nailed with a dashing penalty each through the race and on his option to the observe on Sunday!
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