Denny Hamlin secured the fastest qualifying time at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, edging past Chase Briscoe to claim the pole position for the South Point 400. With this performance, Hamlin takes a strong lead into the first race of the Round of 8, enhancing the spotlight on the ongoing Chase Briscoe Las Vegas pole battle during this intense NASCAR Cup Series playoff stretch.
Hamlin Outpaces Briscoe in High-Stakes Qualifying Duel
Hamlin posted a lap of 29.213 seconds, narrowly beating his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe for pole position. This marks Hamlin’s fourth pole this season and the 47th of his NASCAR Cup Series career. As he launches his pursuit of a long-awaited championship title, Hamlin starts at the front of the field for Sunday’s South Point 400, hoping to set the tone for a championship run.
After his qualifying lap, Hamlin commented,
I felt good about the lap truthfully, the car was good in the short run in practice and now we’ve got to work on the long run,
Hamlin, Driver.
The Las Vegas circuit has often challenged Hamlin and his team on qualifying Saturdays, but now he appears to have corrected course. Still, Hamlin acknowledged persistent obstacles heading into race day, explaining,
There are so many transitions from Saturday to Sunday, even to the end of Sunday. having to deal with that has always been a challenge a this racetrack.
Hamlin, Driver.
Round of 8 Drivers’ Starting Positions Revealed
Christopher Bell, another Joe Gibbs Racing standout, takes the third spot on the grid, giving the team its first 1-2-3 start at Las Vegas since 2020. Chase Elliott, who enters as the most recent intermediate track winner, will begin from the fourth position. William Byron will launch from fifth, joined by his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson in sixth, as Larson aims to defend his earlier season win at the Speedway.
Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick—teammates after being recently eliminated from playoff contention—will occupy the fourth row in seventh and eighth positions. This competitive front pack features several previous Round of 8 playoff drivers, all intent on leaving their mark in Las Vegas.
Joey Logano, part of the Team Penske duo, shows progress after slower practice times and will start ninth. Ryan Blaney, also representing Penske, improved only slightly in qualifying, placing him 14th as the last current playoff challenger on the grid. Ty Gibbs, who displayed impressive speed in earlier practices, will begin the race in the tenth spot and looks to continue his momentum.
Cup Series Practice Sees Ty Gibbs on Top
Ty Gibbs set the bar during Cup Series practice at Las Vegas by clocking a lap of 29.714 seconds. His pace was nearly a tenth of a second faster than William Byron, the next quickest among Round of 8 drivers with a best time of 29.806 seconds. Byron then topped the lap average charts beginning with the five-lap stints, showing promise for Hendrick Motorsports in race trim.
The top ten from practice were dominated by playoff representatives from Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing, validating their strength. Team Penske struggled overall, however, with Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano ending the session 17th and 28th respectively. Both drivers sought answers and adjustments by coming down pit road during practice as they worked to unlock greater pace ahead of qualifying.
Previously eliminated playoff drivers also showed strong practice runs. Ross Chastain led his group before making contact with the outside wall, but after repairs, he was able to proceed with qualifying. The pair from 23XI Racing, Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, claimed fifth and sixth fastest, signaling their intent to contend for a late-season playoff win at the intermediate track.
What Lies Ahead for the South Point 400
Denny Hamlin’s pole win over Chase Briscoe injects new energy into the playoff drama and signals Joe Gibbs Racing’s formidable lineup as the grid forms for the crucial Las Vegas race. The blend of established playoff contenders—such as Christopher Bell, William Byron, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Larson—with strong practice performers like Ty Gibbs and Ross Chastain, promises a fiercely contested South Point 400. The result of this race will play a pivotal role in shaping the championship fight as the NASCAR Cup Series rolls deeper into its postseason battles at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
