Hamlin rallies from penalty to win Pennzoil 400, repeats at Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (March 15, 2026) — Denny Hamlin rallied from a mid-race pit road speeding penalty to capture his 61st career victory in Sunday’s Pennzoil 400, moving into sole possession of 10th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list.

Photo: Elvin Anderson Jr.

Driving the No. 11 Yahoo! Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, Hamlin charged through the field after the penalty and reclaimed the lead late at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The speed was evident throughout the weekend. Hamlin topped Saturday’s practice session while teammate Christopher Bell won the pole, highlighting the strength of the Joe Gibbs Racing lineup entering Sunday’s race.

The race featured multiple pit-road penalties and strategy swings throughout the afternoon, including Hamlin’s speeding violation that sent the No. 11 car to the rear of the field midway through the race. Despite the setback, Hamlin methodically worked back through traffic, climbing into the top five by the end of the second stage before contending for the lead in the closing laps.

“Typically when you speed on pit road somewhere in the middle of the race, you’re usually not seen again,” Hamlin said. “But within about 15 laps after that restart, when I was cutting through everyone, I knew there was still time.”

The win was Hamlin’s first victory of the 2026 season and his third career win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It also made him the fifth driver in NASCAR history to win Cup races in 20 different seasons, joining Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon.

Photo: Elvin Anderson Jr.

Crew chief Chris Gayle said the No. 11 team never lost confidence despite the setback.

“We knew we had a really fast car,” Gayle said. “Once Denny started moving forward after the penalty, we knew we could get back in position.”

Team owner Joe Gibbs praised Hamlin’s resilience following a difficult offseason.

“Denny has the ability to work through things and still stay extremely competitive,” Gibbs said. “He works hard and stays after it.”

Chase Elliott finished second while William Byron placed third.

Connor Zilisch finished 32nd and was the highest-finishing rookie.

Hamlin also continues to lead the Cup Series owner standings through his co-ownership of 23XI Racing, while 23XI driver Tyler Reddick leads the driver standings by 61 points over teammate Bubba Wallace.