LAS VEGAS (October 12, 2025) – Denny Hamlin scored an emotional victory and claimed a significant career milestone with a dramatic win in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series’ South Point 400 Playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Hamlin passed two cars in the final 10 laps, ultimately taking the lead from his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe with four laps remaining then holding off the day’s most dominant driver Kyle Larson by 1.533-second to claim his series’ best sixth win of the season and 60th win of his career.
The win secures the first of four positions in the Nov. 2 Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway – landing Hamlin his first title shot since 2021.
Hamlin was notably moved in the moments after climbing out of his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Instead of the typical playful banter the veteran normally delivers to the crowd after a win, the 44 year-old Virginian spoke more solemnly, mentioning his father Dennis, who has been ill.
“This win means a lot, this is the point where I kind of give the fans some $#%& [grief] but not today, I appreciate you all so much,” said Hamlin, his eyes water-filled as he looked toward the crowded grandstands.
It marked the eighth time Hamlin and fellow Playoff contender Larson have finished in some combination of first and second place. Larson’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was the class of the field for most of the day – leading a race high 129 of the 267 laps – but just unable to hold off Hamlin’s pole-winning Toyota heading to the checkered flag.
Larson, like Hamlin took four tires on the final pit stop and lined up on the second row for the final restart with 14 laps remaining. Hamlin’s teammate Briscoe was out front, benefitting from a two-tire call that gave him better track position.
Hamlin re-started fifth and made his way forward, passing Larson with five laps remaining and then getting around his teammate Briscoe with four laps remaining. Larson and then Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell also got around Briscoe in the closing laps.
It marked the 15th time this year Toyota had four of a race’s top five finishing drivers. The effort gives Bell a 20 point advantage on the cutoff line in third-place and Briscoe a 15 point edge.
Reigning series champion and current Playoff driver, Team Penske’s Joey Logano also gambled on a two-tire stop on that last caution period and was able to manage a sixth-place finish. Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott was 18th rallying from an early race pit miscue and penalty.
23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick was the lone non-Playoff driver among the top-five Sunday, finishing fifth in his Toyota. Hendrick’s Alex Bowman, Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch, and Roush-Fenway-Keselowski teammates Ryan Preece and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top 10.
The NASCAR Cup Series moves to the Talladega Superspeedway high banks next Sunday for the Yellawood 500 (2 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is the defending race winner.