Las Vegas Groovy Gauge Presented by Lectric eBikes

Denny Hamlin delivered another emotional victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, surviving mistakes, long-run tire management, and late pressure to score his 61st career win. The race featured strong showings from the Toyotas, a close fight with Hendrick Motorsports, and even a little post-race tension between former teammates. But while the strategy and storylines were interesting, the overall action landed right in the middle of the scale. Here’s how it scored on the Groovy Gauge, powered by Lectric eBikes.

Groovy Gauge Score: 55%

• Eric believes the race had a few strong moments, including early three-wide battles among William Byron, Kyle Larson, and others, as well as several stretches of competitive side-by-side racing throughout the afternoon.
• Eric thinks watching drivers like Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs recover from early setbacks, including speeding penalties, added intrigue as they sliced their way back through the field.
• He also believes the green-flag pit cycles and long-run strategy played a key role in shaping the outcome, with Hamlin and crew chief Chris Gayle adjusting their approach late in the race to better manage tire falloff and protect the lead.
• Eric thinks the race ultimately followed a fairly predictable script, with the fastest teams from Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports controlling most of the action at the front, with few dramatic twists.
• He lands at 55% on the Groovy Gauge, calling it a perfectly average NASCAR Cup race with solid battles and good strategy, but not enough sustained intensity to make it memorable.

2026 Groovy Gauge Score Tracker