“It’s Noticeable” NASCAR Veteran Shoots Down Doubts About 2026 Horsepower Increase
What’s Happening? NASCAR Cup Series veteran Erik Jones gave race fans a favorable review of NASCAR’s 2026 horsepower increase during a…
The NASCAR Cup Series headed to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the opening race of the Round of 8. Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports dominated qualifying, with Hamlin snatching pole position over Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell, while HMS’s playoff trio of Elliott, Byron and Larson were 4 through 6, completing the top 6 sweep for the two dominant teams. The Penske playoff drivers Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney started 9th and 14th respectively.
It was a straightforward race most of the time, but calamity struck on the final stage, splitting strategies and with wrecks that brought everybody together, and Denny Hamlin nailed the closing laps to take home the win and a berth to the 2025 Championship 4 at Phoenix.
On the opening lap, Denny Hamlin missed a shift on the backstretch, and Chase Briscoe was able to take the lead early. As the run progressed, Hamlin tried to challenge, but Briscoe pulled away by over 3 seconds.
The battle throughout the top 10 was intense, but it seemed like the Hendrick cars had the edge on the long run, as Byron passed Denny Hamlin for 2nd around lap 30, right before the pit stop cycle.
Tyler Reddick kicked off green flag pit stops on lap 31, and everyone followed. Briscoe, the leader by 4 seconds before the cycle, was the last to pit on lap 34 but had a slow stop, being passed by Byron, Reddick, and Larson, with Byron taking the race lead after everyone cycled. These laps were the first Byron led since leading five laps at Daytona in August. The third race he’s led in the last 16 and the first in the playoffs.
On lap 72, Ryan Blaney, who was complaining about a loose car, had a tire issue and smacked the outside wall. He DNF’d after the wreck with a destroyed right front.
The caution came out late on the stage, and all the lead lap drivers pitted for four tires to flip the stage. On the restart with 3 to go, Byron and Larson shared the front row, but Byron had an amazing restart and pulled away. Behind him, however, it was a dogfight for every position, but it was Kyle Larson who prevailed for 2nd place.
1st. William Byron (P)
2nd. Kyle Larson (P)
3rd. Chase Briscoe (P)
4th. Denny Hamlin (P)
5th. Chase Elliott (P)
6th. Bubba Wallace
7th. Christopher Bell (P)
8th. Tyler Reddick
9th. Ty Gibbs
10th. Joey Logano (P)
On the restart, Byron had the lead as nobody needed to pit thanks to the late caution on the first stage, but a contact with Chase Briscoe nearly sent William Byron spinning, but the driver of the 24 was able to hang on and save it. The lead, however, was handed to Kyle Larson in the process.
On the pit stop cycle, Chase Elliott had an uncontrolled tire while running in the top 5, falling all the way down to 30th and a lap down. After the cycle, Tyler Reddick tried to challenge Kyle Larson for the lead, but was unable to pass.
Kyle Larson held on to the lead to win the second Stage at Vegas. Chase Elliott fought for the free pass position and earned it, getting back to the lead lap. It was Larson’s 10th stage win of the season.
1st. Kyle Larson (P)
2nd. Tyler Reddick
3rd. William Byron (P)
4th. Denny Hamlin (P)
5th. Chase Briscoe (P)
6th. Christopher Bell (P)
7th. Ty Gibbs
8th. Alex Bowman
9th. Joey Logano (P)
10th. Carson Hocevar
Before the restart, playoff driver Joey Logano, who was running 9th, had a slow stop that sent him back to 16th. The battle for the lead was intense for a few laps, but Kyle Larson prevailed once again.
The pit stop cycle was crucial for the playoff drivers. Kyle Larson, who was dominating the stage, had a slightly slower stop and gave away the lead to William Byron. Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin had a very slow stop and lost several spots.
William Byron, the leader, got loose out of turn 3, and Kyle Larson took the lead from him.
In a bizarre incident, Ty Dillon slowed down to go down pit road but missed the entry, and William Byron, who was running 2nd and coming right behind him, plowed into him and destroyed his car. He DNF’d, putting himself in a big hole going into Talladega.
The caution with less than 30 to go split strategies; Chase Briscoe, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and others pitted for two tires, with Briscoe and Logano taking the front row. Through turns 1 and 2, a big crash happened when they stacked up on the back half of the top 10.
Luckily, no playoff drivers got damage. On the restart, Joey Logano challenged Briscoe’s lead, and Briscoe was able to hold on to it. On four fresh tires, Denny Hamlin passed both Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe in the closing laps, taking the race lead.
Denny Hamlin took home his 6th win of the year, the most of the season, and his 60th career win, but more importantly, clinched a spot in the Championship 4 at Phoenix.
1st. Denny Hamlin (Advanced)
2nd. Kyle Larson +35
3rd. Christopher Bell +20
4th. Chase Briscoe +15
——Cutline——
5th. William Byron -15
6th. Chase Elliott -23
7th. Joey Logano -24
8th. Ryan Blaney -31
What did you think of this race? How is your driver’s situation on the cutline heading into Talladega? Let us know! Join the discussion on Discord or X, and remember to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more updates. Be sure to tune back in here next weekend at DailyDownforce.com for our weekly coverage!
Chase Pistone, a former competitor on the short track racing circuit in addition to NASCAR’s National Series, has passed away. Pistone, now a successful Legends Car owner, was 42.
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Three races in, the 2026 season is finally starting to show its hand. COTA shifted narratives, exposed weaknesses, and raised new questions about contenders, pretenders, and everything in between.
From substitute drivers being forced into action to points gaps growing faster than expected, COTA delivered more than just a road course chess match. There were momentum swings, reputation hits, and at least one young driver stacking up enemies before stacking up results.
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NASCAR’s top two National Series head to the deserts of Arizona for the first short track race of the season at Phoenix Raceway. Here are the major storylines you need to keep in mind ahead of this weekend.
What’s Happening? NASCAR Cup Series veteran Erik Jones gave race fans a favorable review of NASCAR’s 2026 horsepower increase during a…
This weekend, NASCAR’s new Next Gen short track package makes its points-paying race debut at Phoenix.
Now, this package was first used in a race in the preseason clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, and last week at Circuit of the Americas (as it is used at all road courses this season). But this race will make its first use on a short track during the regular season.
With the increase in horsepower from 670 to 750, teams would like to get a handle on any potential changes that could come their way, as Phoenix is not only similar to tracks like Richmond, but is one of a handful of tracks that will make a regular season and Chase appearance.
The NTT IndyCar Series kicked off its 2026 season last weekend, in a joint event with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix in Florida.
While the Trucks have the weekend off, the NTT IndyCar Series takes on Phoenix Raceway for their first race at the iconic venue since 2018, and their first joint weekend with the Cup Series since July 2020 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Even though this is not the first time the Cup Series and IndyCar have shared a weekend, it is the first weekend the top two divisions of oval racing in the United States will share a track during a weekend, as, in 2020, IndyCar and the NASCAR Xfinity Series raced on the IMS Road Course, while the Cup Series raced on the oval.
We are three races into the 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season, and as of right now, no team has looked particularly dominant.
While Austin Hill has a commanding lead after solid outings at Daytona, EchoPark, and COTA, Phoenix kicks off a stretch of races in which the series heads to more and more tracks that better reflect the bulk of the 2026 calendar.
This stretch could supply fans with a better look at who might be a real title contender, and who was propelling themselves on drafting tracks and road courses to kick off the season.
Joining the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series this weekend is one of the best drivers at Phoenix Raceway in all of NASCAR’s three National Series.
Front Row Motorsports driver and current Craftsman Truck Series points leader, Chandler Smith, will drive Hettinger Racing’s No. 5 Mustang this weekend, in his first OAP Series start since the 2024 season finale at Phoenix.
That season, with Joe Gibbs Racing, Smith pieced together a career season, with two wins, 17 top fives, and 22 top tens, but fell short of making the Championship Four. Though he didn’t win the title, an early-season win at Phoenix propelled Smith into this great season.
In his combined nine starts at Phoenix across the Truck and OAP Series, Smith has two wins, seven top-fives, and nine top-tens. Expect Smith to be some form of threat this weekend at the 1-mile oval.
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