Denny Hamlin may not have had a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway heading into Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400, but the Virginia-native staked his claim as potentially the man to beat as he led 50 laps and cruised to the Stage 1 win.
This marks Hamlin’s ninth Stage Win of the 2020 NCS season, which is a series-high.
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Joey Logano, who made no friends in the opening Stage with an aggressive blocking strategy, finished runner up to Hamlin by just over two-seconds.
Kyle Busch, who hails from Las Vegas, came home third.
Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick were fourth and fifth.
Austin Dillon, who just lost out on a top-five in a battle with Harvick, was sixth and he was followed by Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer, who rounded out the top-10 finishers.
Brad Keselowski, who has fared well at LVMS over the years, was the worst Playoff contender in Stage 1 as he finished 21st. Luckily for Keselowski, he was able to stay on the lead lap. He will look to get some adjustments to get his car in a better position as the race continues on.
Stage and Playoff Points Awarded in Stage 1:
| Finish | Driver | Stage Points | Playoff Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denny Hamlin | 10 | 1 |
| 2 | Joey Logano | 9 | 0 |
| 3 | Kyle Busch | 8 | 0 |
| 4 | Chase Elliott | 7 | 0 |
| 5 | Kevin Harvick | 6 | 0 |
| 6 | Austin Dillon | 5 | 0 |
| 7 | Ryan Blaney | 4 | 0 |
| 8 | Alex Bowman | 3 | 0 |
| 9 | Martin Truex Jr. | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | Clint Bowyer | 1 | 0 |
