Denny Hamlin’s 60th career win at Las Vegas wasn’t just another checkered flag. Rather, it was a statement from the Joe Gibbs veteran. A reminder that even at 44, he’s still got the grit, composure, and racecraft to outduel the best when it matters most. The South Point 400 had all the drama NASCAR fans could ask for: chaos, clutch execution, and cautions.

For Hamlin, it was both a milestone moment and an emotional one, as he dedicated the victory to his ailing father, who helped launch his racing journey decades ago. But while the win looked cool and calculated on TV, behind the visor, things were far more tense. As Hamlin later admitted, there was a stretch under caution where even he started to panic.

Denny Hamlin opens up about panic during Las Vegas race

Denny Hamlin openly admitted to feeling panicked during the late restart at Las Vegas after a prolonged caution period that lasted over 12 laps. “We ran forever under yellow and it’s not like for no reason. The track was a mess,” Hamlin explained, referring to a massive 11-car wreck triggered on the restart with 23 laps to go, when Christopher Bell spun Ty Gibbs, scattering debris across the track and making conditions dangerous. The caution stretched to eight laps, frustrating drivers and fans alike.

Hamlin criticized the extended caution, saying, “Usually if it gets down at the end of the race and the track is that destroyed with all the debris… it’s just too much. Just red flag the thing.” The delay made Hamlin anxious about his position. “It made me panic a little bit that yeah, I’m hoping just to get back in the top five.”

At the time of the wreck and extended caution at Las Vegas, Denny Hamlin was running inside the top 5 but was feeling the pressure. The prolonged yellow flag period made him anxious about maintaining his position as laps clicked off without racing. Hamlin’s car was gaining momentum, but the extended caution threatened to derail his chances of a strong finish and making it back to the front by the restart.

NASCAR official Mike Forde later clarified the reason behind the delay: “It took two laps longer than we had hoped because the tow truck needed time to hook the disabled car and get it off pit road before reopening.” This logistical issue added to the extended yellow and increased tension during the closing stages.

Despite the disruption, Hamlin’s race ended in triumph. He surged past competitors like Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe in a dramatic finish, claiming his 60th career win and securing a coveted spot in the Championship 4. Hamlin reflected on the emotional victory, acknowledging the ups and downs of the long caution but celebrating the way everything ultimately fell into place.

Not the only extended caution in the race

Prior to the caution during the final laps of the race, a dramatic and race-altering incident unfolded on pit road between William Byron and Ty Dillon. On Lap 236, Byron, running second and closing in on the leader Kyle Larson, crashed violently into the back of Dillon, who was unexpectedly slowing to enter the pits. This collision instantly ended both drivers’ races and triggered a major caution (for eight laps), reshuffling playoff standings and creating widespread confusion.

The crash stemmed from a critical communication breakdown. Dillon’s spotter claimed he had informed Byron’s spotter that Dillon was pitting, but Byron and his team said they never received any such warning. Byron lamented, “I never saw any indication that he was pitting. I was watching him and he missed the bottom a little bit then he just started slowing and I had no idea what was going on.”

Unable to react in time, Byron collided with Dillon at high speed, sending both cars into heavy damage. Denny Hamlin weighed in on the incident, highlighting the perilous nature of pit road in such scenarios: “From what I saw, yes, you want to stay on the banking as long as you can come to pit road, but [Dillon] is up higher. And so what that does, unfortunately for William Byron, is you don’t know if he’s looking at the left side door. Even if Ty waved him off, I have no idea whether he did or didn’t.”

Hamlin expressed how drivers must sacrifice pit entry speed to avoid wrecks and survive these hectic moments. The wreck was one of the defining moments of the Las Vegas race, making Byron’s championship hopes much more difficult (he now sits below the cutline with -15 points) while emphasizing the high-risk stakes of NASCAR’s playoff battles.