On Sunday, Denny Hamlin took his second win of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. During the regular season, he kept falling short, and many wondered if he would go winless all year. The good news was that he changed all that with a win at the Darlington Raceway. Now, he has gone and done it again at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, winning ahead of defending champion, Chase Elliott.

To make matters even sweeter, this Vegas win took him to 46 career wins in the NASCAR Cup Series. This also ties him with the late great Buck Baker in 17th place in the all-time winners list. If he manages to snatch two more wins, he will equal Herb Thomas’ tally and be one behind former NASCAR champion, Tony Stewart.

Among the current drivers, he is behind Kevin Harvick and his own teammate, Kyle Busch, on the win counter. As it turns out, Harvick boasts of 58 wins, and Busch is just one ahead of him.

If Hamlin is able to notch up 14 more wins, he will be able to surpass the two drivers. This will make him the most successful current NASCAR Cup Series driver. Of course, he still has miles to go to catch Richard Petty’s astounding 200 wins.

What lies ahead for Denny Hamlin?

At the moment, Hamlin is battling for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship. If he manages to triumph, it could be his maiden crown, one that has been a long time coming. However, Hamlin will have to be wary of all his rivals who will have designs of their own on the 2021 Cup Series title.

The good news is that Hamlin has got his oar in first with his Vegas triumph and automatically qualifies for the next round. So, he gets to relax and watch the other 11 drivers duke it out for seven berths in the next two races.

READ MORE: “Felt Like I Was in a Video Game” – Denny Hamlin on His NASCAR Cup Series Debut