LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Saturday’s on-track action is just beginning to sizzle — and the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Toyotas are heating up. Denny Hamlin captured the Busch Light Pole Award at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS), marking his first-ever pole at this track and the 46th pole of his NASCAR Cup Series career.
Hamlin will lead the field to green in tomorrow’s South Point 400, kicking off the Round of 8, followed by his JGR teammates Chase Briscoe (2nd) and Christopher Bell (3rd). The race covers 267 laps (400.5 miles) on the 1.5-mile oval.
“A great job by the race team making great adjustments from practice to qualifying,” said Denny Hamlin. “It’s going to be great for my pit crew to start up front.”
This weekend’s race is pivotal — the South Point 400 is the opening event in the Playoffs’ Round of 8. Every lap matters, and Hamlin’s front-row start gives him prime track position as manufacturers and drivers battle for advancement.
Hamlin’s strong performance comes against the backdrop of Toyota’s historical underperformance in the fall Las Vegas event. Since the South Point 400 began in 2018, Toyota has tallied just two victories at this track — Martin Truex Jr.’s 2019 victory and Hamlin’s 2021 run.
Toyota is also winless on 1.5-mile tracks (like LVMS) in the 2026 NASCAR season.
Still, Hamlin has long been a standout at LVMS: in 27 career appearances, he holds a 12.8 average finish, 14 top-10s, and has led 412 laps (third-most among active drivers at the track).