LAS VEGAS — Denny Hamlin finished 16th in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after a spin and fuel pressure issue compromised his car. The result caused him to lose 14 points to championship leader Kyle Larson, who finished second.

He started the race from the pole position and led the first 39 laps before a caution on Lap 45 changed the race dynamics. Zane Smith spun to bring out the yellow flag, prompting his crew chief Chris Gayle to call for a two-tire pit stop while he was leading. Chase Briscoe stayed out on track during the caution and took the lead after he pitted.

Later in the race, he spun in Turns 3 and 4 after hitting marbles on the track. "I guess there was marbles up there, but I was just trying to get back to track position that we lost and just went up there and got the marbles and spun out, obviously damaged the car where it was nothing like it was before," he said. The incident damaged the underbody and splitter of his car.

He also experienced a loss of fuel pressure under caution later in the Las Vegas race. He scored zero stage points in the event. "Today certainly didn't live up to what we expected," he said.

Chase Briscoe won the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, leading 175 of 267 laps and sweeping both stages. Kyle Larson finished 1.376 seconds behind Briscoe. The win was Briscoe's second of 2026 and seventh of his Cup career. James Small is the crew chief for Briscoe.

He trails Kyle Larson by 40 points in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings. He is currently second in the standings. "You’ve just got to play the ball from where it lies," he said.

"And where it lies is we’ve got a little gap we’ve got to make up. So we’ve got to perform at our best."

"Definitely not smooth [in The Chase]," he said. "We haven’t had any disaster days, but we certainly have had our fair share of not performing." He has finished 18th, ninth, eighth, third, and 16th in the first five races of The Chase. He has averaged 35.6 points per race in those events, while Larson has averaged 54.6 points per race.

Gayle said the pit stop call for him "wasn't a great call" in hindsight. "[At Vegas], obviously leaving a bazillion points on the table considering where we were on speed before the wreck," he said.

Joe Gibbs, team owner, addressed the situation. "We need a win, and I think we'll be right on top of it," Gibbs said. He drives for Joe Gibbs Racing.

He has 64 career NASCAR Cup Series victories but has not won a NASCAR Cup Series championship. He earned the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series regular-season championship.

He co-owns 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan. He expects 2027 to be his last season as a driver. "I’m definitely not driving to a point total. I'm driving to try to get the best result and then stack as many points as we can," he said.

"I’ve actually taken a little more time off," he added. "My team really does a good job of front-loading appearances early in the year to … give me some more time for The Chase and things that."

There are five races remaining in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase. The next race is at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 11, 2026. Chase Briscoe is 80 points behind Kyle Larson in the standings after the Las Vegas race.

Why It Matters

With five races remaining in the Chase, his 40-point deficit to Kyle Larson complicates his pursuit of a first career championship despite holding second place in the standings. The 14-point loss at Las Vegas extends a pattern where he has averaged 35.6 points per race compared to Larson's 54.6 average through the first five playoff events. This gap increases the pressure on him, who earned the regular-season title but faces a steep climb to overcome the consistency difference before the season concludes.