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Denny Hamlin Breaks Down Costly Spin in Tough Las Vegas NASCAR Race
Highlights
- Denny Hamlin won pole in Joe Gibbs Racing top-four sweep
- Hamlin led 39 laps before losing lead after Zane Smith spin
- Spin caused by marbles damaged car, dropping Hamlin to 16th place
- Hamlin finished 16th, 40 points behind championship leader Kyle Larson
- Fuel pressure loss and track conditions worsened Hamlin’s race performance
- Chase resumes next weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway
From pole at Las Vegas after a Joe Gibbs Racing lockout, Denny Hamlin leads 39 laps before a spin and fuel issue drop him to 16th in the Chase.
The first caution from Zane Smith’s spin flips strategy. Pit stops drop Hamlin outside the top five, forcing a recovery drive amid a reshuffled order and Las Vegas results context.
Hamlin leads 39 laps, then a high-line misstep on marbles triggers a costly spin and splitter damage.
He climbs back to fourth by the stage end. Chasing track position, he runs high in Turns 3 and 4, hits marbles, spins, and drags the splitter onto the apron.
The damage compromises balance and pace. Hamlin says the high lane is dirty and admits pushing harder than ideal while trying to regain lost ground.
The setback costs seven stage points and resets his race. A brief fuel pressure dip later drops him another dozen positions during an extended green-flag run.
“There was nothing you could do after that spun out. The car wasn’t the same.” — Denny Hamlin
He finishes 16th without stage points in the current Chase picture and leaves Las Vegas 40 points behind Kyle Larson. Larson’s second-place finish yields only one stage point, limiting the swing to 14.
Hamlin labels the Chase’s first half “not smooth.” He cites inconsistency over catastrophe, with strong speed undermined by execution dips and track-position losses since the Chase start.
Hamlin departs Las Vegas 40 points down on Larson after a 16th-place finish and zero stage points.
Focus now shifts to another 1.5‑mile test at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Clean air, groove choice, and splitter management will decide whether Joe Gibbs Racing converts speed into points.
Visual Summary
–14
Points Lost
to Larson
to Larson
😓
Stage Points
ZERO
ZERO
40 pts
Behind
Larson
Larson
“There was nothing you could do after that spin out.
The car wasn’t the same, and the handling was bad from then on.”
— Denny Hamlin
Next Stop:
Charlotte
Hamlin spins but
the Chase isn’t over yet.
John Martinez delivers real-time NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series news, from live race updates to pit-lane strategy analysis. A graduate of the University of Northwestern Ohio’s Motorsports Technology program, he breaks down rule changes, driver tactics, and championship points with crystal-clear reporting.
