Winners and losers from an unpredictable NASCAR Cup race at Las Vegas

We now know our first of four drivers who will make up the Championship 4, and it’s Denny Hamlin. The veteran driver hadn’t made it to the finals since 2021, failing to advance beyond the Round of 8 in every year of the Next Gen era … until now.

Hendrick Motorsports dominated the race, but pit road miscues, a wild wreck, and a late-race restart were enough to deny them an automatic ticket into the championship race. Penske is also looking at the next two races as if they need a win in order to have a shot at a fourth consecutive Cup Series title.

Here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers from the NASCAR Cup playoff race at Las Vegas:

WINNER: Denny Hamlin in tears after incredible drive to secure 60th win

How could Hamlin not cry after Sunday’s race? He drove from outside the top five to win his way into the Championship 4 — the first time he has made it that far in the Next Gen era. The victory is also the 60th of his career, and it’s a milestone he has been talking about for a long time. He is now tied with Kevin Harvick as the tenth-winningest driver in Cup Series history. He also wins the race with a contentious lawsuit against NASCAR raging in the background, and an ailing father at home. It was one of the most impressive wins of Hamlin’s Hall of Fame career, and now he’s one step away from the title that has eluded him for two decades.

LOSER: William Byron & Ty Dillon as miscommunication ends in huge wreck

Ty Dillon and William Byron crash

Photo by: Getty Images

Byron went from leading the race to sitting in the middle of pit road with a destroyed race car in just a couple of laps. A mid-turn bobble by the No. 24 dropped Byron back to second, and before he could even think about taking the lead back, Ty Dillon abruptly slowed in front of him. It’s not entirely clear what caused the communication breakdown here, but one thing is clear — Byron had no idea that the off-sequence Dillon was attempting to pit. He did not signal to Byron, and communication between spotters never made it to Byron’s ears. The result was a massive accident that instantly ended Byron’s day and dropped him 15 points below the cutline. “For random shit to happen like that, it just sucks,” commented Byron.

WINNER: Logano doesn’t win, but the No. 22 again found a way to the front

Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford

Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Joey Logano and crew chief Paul Wolfe have this ability to make something out of an average day, and Sunday was the latest example of that. A bold two-tire call in the closing laps left his rivals and fans nervous as some began to wonder if he was about to steal another win out of nowhere. While that didn’t happen, Logano still soldiered on to finish sixth, and remains within reach of the cutline (-24pts) entering Talladega. The Team Penske driver remains a wildcard in this Round of 8 fight.

LOSER: Another potential oval T10 ends in a pileup crash for SVG

Shane van Gisbergen climbs out of car, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Chris Williams of LVMS Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Shane van Gisbergen is only getting better on ovals, out-qualifying both of his Trackhouse teammates and running inside the top 15 for a majority of the race. His team put him on a two-tire strategy late, which had him on the edge of a top five with just over 20 laps to go. Unfortunately, SVG never got to see the checkered flag as he got run over from behind when a hoe closed up between Ty Gibbs, Christopher Bell, and himself. Eleven drivers were collected in the ensuing melee, and van Gisbergen leaves Vegas with a 33rd place finish. It’s similar to what happened at New Hampshire, as a strong top ten was ripped away due to a restart pileup where the Kiwi got hit from behind.

WINNER: No win, but big points days for Briscoe, Bell and Larson

Watch: Chase Briscoe falls short at Vegas: ‘That one will sting’

All three of these drivers were frustrated with missing out on the win, which is not surprising. Briscoe was leading with just five laps to go, but failed to hold back a charging Hamlin. Larson led 129 of 267 laps and was ahead of Hamlin on the same tire strategy during the final restart. And then there’s Bell, who seems to ‘almost’ win the Round of 8 opener every year. But this trio all leave Vegas with top five finishes and double-digit stage points scored. Larson went from +4 to +35, Bell from -4 to +20, and Briscoe from -14 to +15. Those are some big gains and that buffer could be crucial for them with Talladega just ahead.

LOSER: Ryan Blaney immediately falls into a must-win situation

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford

Photo by: Logan Riely / Getty Images

Blaney didn’t even have a chance. With just a few laps to go in Stage 1, a left-front tire went down and he slammed the outside wall. The No. 12 was damaged beyond repair, and he finished last, scoring only a single point. He is now 31 points below the cutline, and he will likely have to win if he wants to go to the Phoenix finale with a shot at winning the championship. Blaney has now finished 32nd or worse in the last three Vegas races. The only good news is the fact that Blaney has multiple Cup wins at both Talladega and Martinsville, which concludes the Round of 8.

WINNER: Some good news for Kyle Busch as he goes from 32nd to 8th

Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Busch hasn’t had much to be excited about lately. The Richard Childress Racing driver had just one top 15 finish in the eleven races that preceded his home race. After qualifying 32nd and falling a lap down early, it looked like things weren’t going to get any better on Sunday. But Busch managed to avoid the chaos, keep his car clean, and grind away until he brought home an eighth-place finish — the best of all drivers who failed to make the 2025 playoffs. Along with Keselowski, they were the biggest movers of the race at +24 positions. It’s also Busch’s best showing at his home track in two years.

LOSER: Promising day for Bubba Wallace unravels

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota, Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Toyota

Photo by: Chris Graythen – Getty Images

Wallace had a fast (and easily recognizable) neon yellow No. 23 car on Sunday. He raced throughout the top five and top ten for the first 100 or so laps of the race. Unfortunately, he got a speeding penalty during a pit stop in the middle of Stage 2. It took him most of the race to claw back at least some of the lost track position, but it still wasn’t going to be a great result as he ran 17th with two laps to go. But that’s when the car slid up into the wall, dropping Wallace back to 22nd in the final running order. While eliminated from the playoffs, Wallace still has a shot to secure his best finish yet in the championship standings, currently matching his best in tenth.

WINNER: RFK continues to be the best of the rest in the playoffs

Chris Buescher, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford

Photo by: Logan Riely / Getty Images

Another non-playoff team we want to highlight. RFK had a quiet, but solid day, and they were the only multi-car team to end the race with all of their drivers inside the top 15. Ryan Preece led the way in ninth, with Brad Keselowski 11th, and Chris Buescher 12th. This comes after the Roval where RFK cars placed fourth and sixth, and a race at Kansas where Keselowski finished eighth to be the top-finishing non-playoff driver. This sort of consistency will serve them well as they try and turn things around ahead of the 2026 season.

LOSER: Pit road error derails Chase Elliott’s day

Elliott finished fifth in Stage 1, and was looking strong in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. After the points reset, he entered this race 14 points below the cutline, so that was going to be critical for him. Unfortunately, the team let a wheel roll away during a Stage 2 pit stop, and Elliott never truly recovered. He eventually fought his way back on the lead lap, but an 18th-place finish means he goes to Talladega even deeper in the elimination zone at -23pts.

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– The Motorsport.com Team