LAS VEGAS – Emotions ran rampant for Denny Hamlin, who got his long-awaited 60th NASCAR Cup Series victory in Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Not because the two-decade veteran winning means that he’ll once again compete for a championship, though. The emotions stem from getting this win for his 75-year-old father, Dennis Hamlin Sr., who is dealing with health issues.
The victory at the 1.5-mile oval meant a tremendous amount to Hamlin, considering how he was able to punch his ticket into the Championship 4.
With four laps remaining, Hamlin passed Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe for the lead, and when he took the checkered flag, all of the emotions kicked in. The type of emotions that fans had never seen from the polarizing 44-year-old superstar, who normally is vocal yet composed.
“I don’t know if I could have scripted it better. I don’t know, like a win at Talladega for 60 would still be awesome, but not like this. Not in the fashion I had to do it in the last 10 laps,” Hamlin explained in the post-race press conference.
“This race, I talked about it before the weekend started, just how important this race was, right? I thought this was the most important. All of it. My friends all weekend, we’re getting 60 this weekend,” Hamlin continued.
“Just putting all the factors, I can’t imagine there’s a win bigger for me than this one. With the family, with the significance of it, now being back on top for most wins in the season, punching the ticket to the 4, all of it. The fashion in which the last 10 laps played out.
“All of the above is why I think this means the most.”
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Visibly tearful during his post-burnout interview on USA Network, Hamlin explained that he wasn’t sure if it was difficult to hide it or simply embrace the emotions.
“I’m probably softer than what I put off. I maybe shed a tear during a love story in a movie or something if it’s a really emotional moment. I’ll never let my kids see it, but I do have feelings. I know it’s hard to believe,” said Hamlin, with a smile.
“I just know how much work it took for this to happen. It didn’t just happen. It wasn’t just luck. It just was so gratifying because of all the things I talked about. Then I had the ball at the very end and made it.
“Maybe y’all played recreational sports as a kid, had that game-winning moment, but it’s just so big for me personally because this is what I do, this is what I’m paid to do. It will take a few days for it all to sink in. I knew there was no chance I was holding it back, no chance. Just let it go.”
Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, recalled that when he first met a then-quiet Hamlin, it became a situation where you had to get people to get him to speak.
Now, with a shot at a title for the first time in the current generation NASCAR Cup Series car, the Hamlin he’s seen as of late has been nothing short of mature, especially when he’s dealing with his dad’s health, an ongoing lawsuit against NASCAR, and building a family of his own.”
“Today, look at where he is today. It’s been so interesting to watch that over the years. I think part of it is maturing. I do think one of the changes, too, is family and everything he’s got going there with Jordan,” Gibbs explained.
“I think it’s just one of those things where somebody matures, becomes a father, and takes on a huge responsibility, has his own race team, all of that. Probably causes somebody to actually change their personality.
“Certainly, I think Denny has gone through one of the biggest changes of almost anyone I know.”
A key factor of Hamlin winning Sunday’s event was the seven hours of sim work that were put into this weekend’s event at Las Vegas. Gibbs says it’s a part of his work ethic that has continued to grow and is more determined than he’s ever been to finally capture that long-elusive Bill France Trophy.
“What comes with that is so many years and so many great wins, but also the disappointments of not being able to win a championship. I think he’s really been determined, and after it,” Gibbs commented.
“If you go through as many years as we’ve been through with Toyota, you go through some good times, you go through some tough times, but that is what really tests a partnership. They’ve always been so good. Whatever happens, if we go through a downtime, it’s just, Hey, let’s go to work, let’s fix it. They’ve been a great partner.
“I appreciate all those. It’s one thing to kind of love it and celebrate it ourselves and Chris (Gayle, Hamlin’s crew chief), but it’s to see all those people that go with you. That’s what’s really fun. I was in the winner’s circle calling sponsors and thanking ’em. It’s just great. Those guys gamble, will come with you, and spend a lot of their resources to support the race team. To be able to call them from the winner’s circle is a huge deal.”
Hamlin’s victory puts him in a tie with Kevin Harvick for 10th on the all-time Cup Series win list. Additionally, Hamlin is now the winningest Cup driver for Toyota GAZOO Racing, surpassing Kyle Busch.
Therefore, the milestone victory at NASCAR’s top level that’s been building for a long time warranted such emotions, to the point where his Las Vegas victory may rival his DAYTONA 500 victories. Hamlin shared a story of having the desire to win ‘The Great American Race’ since he was eight years old.
RACE RESULTS: 2025 NCS South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
“When I moved the bar from 50 to 60, I had to stew on that for a few years,” said Hamlin. “When I won the Daytona 500, I had always hoped to win the Daytona 500. There’s a letter that I wrote when I was eight years old that’s in my garage that my mom kept that says, My wish is to win the Daytona 500. I hope that this comes true on February 18th, 1998.
“I thought when I was 18 years old, I was going to be in Cup for some reason. There’s something about manifesting, because I’ve won it twice on February 18th, the Daytona 500,” Hamlin continued. “I don’t know. Some things are kind of meant to be. So while that took 30 years to happen, that was just one race. There were no other implications to it, right?
“The reason this one is more is because of all the things, right? I got the home things, we got the lawsuit things, we’ve got just the Final 4, the 60.
“There were just so many other factors that played into today, which is why I think that it’s my biggest win. Certainly, one that I was absolutely the most excited about.”
Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gayle, who’ll make his first Championship 4 appearance on top of the pit box, commented that he hopes Hamlin can get him to a title as well.
In the meantime, the best that Gayle can do, and the best that the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing crew can do, is lay it all on the line at Phoenix Raceway in three weeks.
“He’s a mature guy; he’s been through all that. I haven’t about there,” said Gayle. “Whatever happens, happens. Then we’re going to do everything on the front side to get ready. I don’t know that I have the magic formula related to that, other than bringing the fastest car I can, which is how I’ve approached all year.
“I haven’t gotten into mind games, what’s happened before. When he sat down with me before in the off-season, he mentioned 60 wins, trying to get to the Championship 4. He never once said ‘championship’.
“Obviously, you elevate your mind and what you think you can accomplish as you go further along into the year. We’ve had such a good year, we feel like we should be a frontrunner for the championship.
“I don’t think it’s going to change what we do. We’re going to take it a week at a time and a few weeks ahead on Phoenix, and that’s about it.”
At the beginning of the season, Hamlin admitted that he worried about having Gayle, saying that his resume wasn’t mind-blowing compared to when he had Chris Gabehart on top of the box.
That’s where Hamlin left the decisions up to Gibbs because of how much trust he’s had over the course of his tenure at JGR.
Hamlin assured Gayle that he has his respect and confidence to assure what’ll make the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE the car to beat every Sunday. Above all else, not being afraid of what must be done to get to that level.
Fast forward to mid-October, Hamlin and Gayle have visited victory lane six times and are a step closer to perhaps proving the ’11 Versus Everybody’ mantra isn’t just for show, but indeed legit. Safe to say, Hamlin confidently felt Gibbs’ decision was correct.
“When I had those interviews that I talked about him and my apprehension, one of the first conversations I had with him, I don’t want you to take that personally, but this caught me off guard. I didn’t know I was going to be in this position just a week ago,” Hamlin explained.
“I really appreciate his leadership. He pushes me as hard as Gabehart did. I made it very, very clear to him that regardless of my accolades or his, he is the leader, and I will respect whatever he tells me to do. I think that’s very, very important as a driver to give the reins to your leader, which is your crew chief, comp director, whoever it might be. No one driver is bigger than the team they drive for or the person that leads their team,” Hamlin continued.
“I can understand why it would be intimidating for someone like him. Me and Gabehart had a lot of success. I was nervous whether he was going to get the same out of me that those guys did. I can confidently say that Gibbs made the right decision in choosing him, giving him the opportunity with me. I think it’s been a very good mix of kind of our thoughts.
“That’s why I think we’ve gotten better as a team, as a whole it’s sometimes a fresh, new perspective and ideas can teach you something. I think he has,” Hamlin concluded.
The Round of 8 will continue to be chaotic for the remaining seven racers who are fighting for three spots. Hamlin, on the other hand, can prepare for Phoenix and hope that the fifth time’s a charm in his upcoming Championship 4 saga.
