LAS VEGAS — With tears in his eyes and needing a moment to compose himself, Denny Hamlin collected his sixth checkered flag and reflected on everything it meant.

The victory Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was the 60th of his career — a lifetime goal he dedicated to his ailing father — and it gave him the first of the four spots in NASCAR’s winner-take-all championship finale.

Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner considered the greatest driver to never win a Cup Series title, is back in the championship race for the first time since 2021. He’s Joe Gibbs Racing’s winningest driver and now Toyota’s, as well.

The 44-year-old Virginia driver is tied for 10th on NASCAR’s career victories list with Kevin Harvick.

Hamlin couldn’t hold back the tears after a frantic final 10-lap drive to

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