Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson faced significant setbacks during the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Both championship contenders lost critical stage points early in the fifth race of the 2026 Chase.
The Lap 88 Spin That Cost Denny Hamlin Stage Points
Starting the race from the pole position, Denny Hamlin appeared to be a dominant force until a critical error occurred on lap 88. As the reepport indicates, Hamlin's No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota drifted upward in turns three and four, resulting in a spin that nearly sent the driver into the wall. While Hamlin managed to avoid a collision and keep the car in the race, the mistake was costly.
Because NASCAR officials decided not to trigger a caution for the spin, the race remained green, leaving Denny Hamlin to fight his way back from the depths of the field. This misstep dropped the Joe Gibbs Racing driver to 27th place by the end of Stage 1, meaning he earned zero stage points and saw a significant reduction in his lead within the 2026 Chase standings.
Cliff Daniels' Extended Pit Stop and Kyle Larson's Lost Lap
Kyle Larson, who entered the Las Vegas event as the points leader, suffered a different but equally damaging setback. According to the source, Larson's Hendrick Motorsports Chevy struggled with handling issues that necessitated a lengthy green-flag pit stop. Crew chief Cliff Daniels had to perform extensive adjustments to the vehicle to correct the ill-handling, a process that ultimately cost Kyle Larson an entire lap.
This mechanical struggle plummeted Larson from his initial sixth-place starting position to the rear of the pack. By the conclusion of Stage 1, the Hendrick Motorsports driver finished 23rd, mirroring Denny Hamlin's failure to secure any stage points. Although Larson managed a modest recovery to finish 10th in Stage 2, the early loss of track position severely hampered his momentum.
How Chase Briscoe Capitalized on the 2026 Chase Chaos
While the championship favorites struggled, Chase Briscoe seized the opportunity to climb the standings. Briscoe secured the Stage 1 victory by choosing to stay on the track after a caution was triggered by a spin from Zane Smith. This strategic move allowed Chase Briscoe to maximize his points gain during a volatile segment of the race.
The volatility of the 2026 Chase was further highlighted by a crowded field of top performers who managed to avoid the errors that plagued the leaders. Drivers including Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Austin Cindric, Daniel Suarez, Bubba Wallace, Carson Hocevar, Alex Bowman, and Michael McDowell all secured top-ten finishes in the first stage, narrowing the gap between themselves and the front-runners.
The Unclear Cause of the Hendrick Motorsports Handling Failure
Despite the detailed account of the race, several specifics regarding the technical failures remain unknown. The source mentions an "ill-handling issue" for the Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, but it does not specify whether this was a result of a setup error, a mechanical part failure, or a reaction to changing track conditions at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Furthermore, while the report notes that Denny Hamlin lost a "substantial" portion of his lead, the exact updated points margin between Hamlin and the rest of the 2026 Chase field has not been disclosed. It remains to be seen if the Hendrick Motorsports team can diagnose the handling flaw before the next event in the ten-race series.
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