Denny Hamlin discussed the heated fallout from last weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at the Charlotte ROVAL, where his late-race move indirectly helped Joey Logano advance to the round of 16. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran said he stands by his actions, emphasizing that he has “earned the right to decide” how to run in this chaotic ending.
Roval’s final round drama centered on three-time champion Joey Logano, Trackhouse’s Ross Chastain and Hamlin. Hamlin immediately passed Chastain for the position, a move which, unbeknownst to him at the time, sealed Chastain’s elimination and pushed Logano into the next round.
In the final chicane, Chastain collided with Hamlin, who spun them both as they crossed the finish line 21st and 23rd back, with Logano crossing 20th. Speaking before the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 44-year-old made it clear there was no hidden agenda in his decision.
When asked whether NASCAR should examine such situations in which one driver’s action on the track can indirectly decide another driver’s fate in the playoffs, Hamlin said in the pre-race press conference:
“Yeah, those are the two questions. Am I allowed to make a decision given that I have no allegiance to either? Because I would say I’ve earned the right to decide. They’ve unfortunately put themselves in a vulnerable position where I can decide.
“But how is it different from a superspeedway? If I know I can’t win, I choose which car I’m going to push to the finish. I’ll probably push the one I don’t want to get five bonus points. We always have these scenarios where we choose who we help, but that and the destruction at the end, of course,” he continued. (7:20 a.m.)
Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gayle, later said he wished he had briefed Denny Hamlin on the playoff situation in real time. The lack of communication left Hamlin unaware of how crucial Chastain’s decision would become.
Logano barely managed to qualify by four points, as Denny Hamlin advanced comfortably, while Chastain had to reflect on the speeding penalty and late-race misjudgment that ended his playoff run.
Denny Hamlin on pole for Las Vegas as attention shifts to South Point 400
Denny Hamlin’s qualifying lap of 29.213 seconds earned him his first career pole at Las Vegas and his fourth of the 2025 season. The No. 11 Toyota will lead an all-Joe Gibbs Racing front row, with teammates Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell in second and third. Hamlin was also in the top five during practice, reporting consistent speed heading into Sunday’s race.
Qualifying times reflect how competitive the field remains, with 29 drivers separated by less than a second. For Denny Hamlin, an early win here could erase the stress of depending on Talladega or Martinsville later in the round.
“If you leave here in a hole, then you’re now counting on a good race at Talladega and you can’t really count on that. You might as well budget to finish 25th in points with these stage points. It’s like a realistic idea of how many points you’re going to get when you get to this track, unless you get lucky. So this track for me is probably the most important,” Hamlin added during the press conference pre-race. (from 8:18 a.m.)
However, the terrain surrounding it leaves little room for comfort. William Byron showed impressive pace on the long runs during testing, consistently strong in races of 10, 15 and 30 laps. Christopher Bell, meanwhile, comes in with momentum, having finished second in the last two playoff races in Las Vegas.
Edited by Hitesh Nigam
