What Happened?
Denny Hamlin held off an oncoming Chase Elliott in the final laps of the 400-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, March 15 to win his first race of the 2026 season. Behind them, William Byron, Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs finished third, fourth and fifth respectively to round out the top five.
Hamlin’s win is his second consecutive at Las Vegas and his third overall at the 1.5-mile track. The victory is also the 61st in his Cup career, making him the sole holder of the 10th-most wins in Cup history.
Denny Hamlin Holds Off Chase Elliott for Las Vegas Cup Win
What Really Happened?
Whenever the topic came up about his 2026 chances, it was always the same response.
“He’s getting too old.”
“He’s going to focus on other things.”
“He’s been through too much.”
And it’s no secret. It was a nightmare offseason for Hamlin.
On top of losing what would have been his first Cup championship in the last two laps in 2025, Hamlin endured a bitter lawsuit battle that reached the Charlotte courthouse in December. Then, he learned the agonizing news that his father had passed away and his mother was injured in an overnight house fire in their home.
Plus, there is some truth in his age. Hamlin is 44 years old, and that’s an age when even some of the most legendary drivers in NASCAR history have lost their edge. On top of that, he’s got a whole other race team to run on the side and a family to be present for.
So, to think maybe his head isn’t exactly in the right space for another full Cup season wouldn’t be out of the question, and you couldn’t really blame him for that. Regardless, plenty doubted Hamlin’s chances for another run at the Cup title.
But you shouldn’t.
In case you haven’t noticed, we’re talking about a competitor who has drawn the respect and business of one of the – if not the most – greatest athletes to have existed in Michael Jordan. It’s not for his business savvy either. Hamlin has always been one of the most passionate and competitive drivers in the modern-day Cup Series field. In other words? He’s simply built different.
He said it himself when I asked him at Worldwide Technology Raceway last year.
From what we saw on Sunday at Las Vegas, that hasn’t changed much. Hamlin’s victory in Sin City wasn’t one of a driver in the late stages of his career earning a fluke swan song win. It looked like every other Hamlin win: dominant.
The No. 11 Toyota paced the field for 134 laps on Sunday – that’s slightly over half of the entire event. What was more impressive was what he had to overcome. Before the beginning of stage two, Hamlin received a speeding penalty and had to drop to the rear of the field. By the end of the second stage, he was already back in the top five.
Sunday felt like it was a Hamlin we’ve seen time and time again, not one that’s in the waning years of his career.
And when you consider the new championship format, one that rewards consistency rather than only winning, it seems like one of the best early season outlooks in a while for him to finally earn his elusive first title.
Paint Scheme of the Race
It looked so nice, they should put it in an art museum.
And considering the sponsor and the brand it’s dedicated to, that might actually just happen.
It’s not too often that you see an automatic winner for Paint Scheme of the Week before the actual week itself, but upon seeing this masterpiece announced on the social feeds of Trackhouse Racing and Shane van Gisbergen, it was a near guarantee.
The location for it works great, too. The only other place a warm-colored, sticker-scattered urban art livery might work better is in SoCal, but hey, despite it being a near nightmare day for the Kiwi racer, it still looked plenty warm and vibrant under the Las Vegas sun.
What’s Next?
A return back to the East Coast to see a familiar Lady in Black.
The Cup Series will tackle the Track Too Tough to Tame in Darlington Raceway for the running of the Goodyear 400.
The 293-lap event will be broadcasted live on FOX Sports 1 with coverage beginning at 3 p.m. ET. on Sunday, March 22.
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