Denny Hamlin captured the fastest time in qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, securing pole position as the championship duel with Kyle Larson intensifies.
Hamlin Clinches Pole Position
Spinning the 1.5‑mile oval in 28.910 seconds, Hamlin edged Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs by just 0.017 seconds. The victory follows back‑to‑back Cup wins in Vegas, positioning him to chase a third straight win and erase a 26‑point gap to Larson.
“It was good,” Hamlin said. “We felt the cars improved slightly; it’s a strong start, but the road ahead is long.”
Field Stack‑Up
The field opened with a JGR vault: Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe took third and fourth, while 23XI’s Tyler Reddick completed a five‑car sweep, occupying the top half of the grid. Sonoma‑fast Kyle Larson qualified sixth, followed by Austin Cindric at seventh. William Byron, Bubba Wallace, and Carson Hocevar positioned themselves within the subsequent spots.
Practice Setback
Thirty‑two cars started the session cleanly, but the No. 4 Noah Gragson and the No. 21 Josh Berry were absent after crashing during practice, leaving the final line‑up unchanged.
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