JGR ace Denny Hamlin outlines why a Las Vegas win gives teams a crucial edge in the NASCAR championship fight

Denny Hamlin enters the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs Round of 8 opener as the top seed. But with the smallest ever margin for a No. 1 seed in playoff history of eight points, the stakes are high.

The 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the first stop in this decisive three-race stretch, followed by Talladega and Martinsville. For Hamlin, the message was clear ahead of Sunday’s South Point 400. Winning in Vegas could change everything.

Speaking ahead of the weekend, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran underlined why the race carried immense weight in the championship fight.

“If you leave here in a hole, then you're now counting on a good Talladega race and you can't really count on that. You might as well budget yourself to finish 25th in points with those stage points. That’s like a realistic (idea) of how many points you’re going to get when you go to that racetrack, unless you get fortunate. So this racetrack to me is certainly, probably the most important,” Hamlin said in the pre-race press conference. (8:18 onwards)

Talladega, the middle race of the Round of 8, is infamous for multi-car wrecks and unpredictable results, making it a high-risk for championship contenders. That puts a greater emphasis on Las Vegas for Denny Hamlin.

Denny Hamlin (11) during practice for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Source: Imagn

A win here automatically secures a Championship 4 berth, removing the stress of relying on Talladega or being in a must-win scenario at Martinsville.

“Obviously, to shift most of your resources to Phoenix is certainly a benefit. No one’s going to go do a simulation for Talladega. But, if you don’t win here, you’re going to start working on Martinsville right away... if one of us wins, seven of us will be spending more time on Martinsville. Where that one (winner) has now got an extra week on Phoenix,” Hamlin added. (9:19 onwards)

A victory in Las Vegas also means a two-week head start on preparations for the Phoenix finale. When Ryan Blaney won the Round of 12 opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, he used the following races to experiment with setups and strategy, finishing 24th and 13th without consequence.

That flexibility proved valuable, highlighting what Denny Hamlin said:

“It’s absolutely an advantage. Is it a substantial one? I don’t know. I’d have to see the numbers, but it seems like those that have locked in early to the final four has run really well or won the championship. So yeah, I think that’s why this one is so big for all the teams.”

In the last eight years, five winners of the Round of 8 opener have gone on to win the championship, making Sunday’s South Point 400 critical.

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“I felt good about it”: Denny Hamlin’s Vegas pole sets the tone for JGR

Denny Hamlin wins the pole in the South Point 400 at Las Vegas. Source: Getty

Denny Hamlin got off to the perfect start at Las Vegas, winning pole position. His 29.213s run in the No. 11 Toyota secured his first career pole at the track and fourth of the season. He will start with his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell, locking out second and third.

Speaking after qualifying, Hamlin said, via NASCAR.com:

“I felt good about it, truthfully. There wasn’t a whole lot left out there for it. But a great job by this team to get my car good. It was good in the short run in practice as well, got to work on it for the long run for tomorrow.”

While Toyota’s overall record at Las Vegas has been mixed, with only one win in the last five seasons, JGR’s form under the Next Gen regulations has been consistent. Hamlin’s 2021 win is the manufacturer’s most recent win at the track, while Bell scored back-to-back runner-up finishes in the fall races.

Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 pit crew, sidelined by penalties at Bristol, also rejoins him for the Round of 8 opener. The tire compound remains identical to that used at Kansas two weeks ago, where Toyotas dominated the top ten and Hamlin led the most laps, and is expected to work in his favor.