Denny Hamlin Overcomes Speeding Penalty to Win in Vegas
After an offseason marked by personal tragedy, Hamlin wasted little time returning to his winning ways.
Driving race cars may look like fun, but it’s difficult, grueling work. To make matters worse, any number of things can – and often do – go wrong. Winning a race means overcoming all manner of adversity to come out on top. It’s an accomplishment that should be celebrated.
Denny Hamlin didn’t just overcome a speeding penalty on pit road to win last Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He overcame all manner of loss – from a championship that slipped through his fingers, to the loss of his father in a house fire that destroyed his parents’ home. A few short months ago on his podcast, he candidly admitted that he wasn’t looking forward to racing in 2026.
When February rolled around, Hamlin seemed to face the season with renewed vigor. When his team, 23XI Racing, scored the first three wins of the season with Tyler Reddick (who finished 13th and continues to lead the series in points), many wondered when Hamlin would make it to victory lane as a driver instead of an owner. As it turns out, it didn’t take too long. On Sunday, he held off a late-charging Chase Elliott to take the checkered flag, paying tribute to his father in his front stretch interview.
Hamlin seems to thrive in chaos, a skill that seems to, against all odds, sharpen with age. Hamlin, now 45, will readily admit that he has more of his career behind him now than in front of him. However, he’s still a threat to win every weekend, which he attributes to hard work both in and out of the race car.
With this 61st victory, Hamlin can now claim sole possession of the #10 spot on the NASCAR all-time wins list. He is just two wins behind Kyle Busch in 9th, with 63 wins. Hamlin, now 4th in points, benefits greatly from the 2026 points format. Consistency will pay dividends as the season chugs along, which is a skill Hamlin excels at, even in previous years when the playoff format didn’t necessarily reward it. If he can keep it up, he will be a threat for the 2026 NASCAR title.
Photo: NASCAR