Hamlin and Gibbs Racing Aim to Replicate Las Vegas Success
Denny Hamlin and his crew chief, Chris Gayle, found a winning combination of strategy and car setup during their last visit to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team is aiming to recapture that magic for Sunday’s Cup Series race at the 1.5-mile oval.
“Just trying to replicate the success, really, right?” Gayle remarked. “Like we know what we think made us good last time, and we’re trying to replicate that here. And the temperatures are probably going to be far closer to the fall race. Normally, it’s pretty cool here in the spring, and we didn’t quite get that this time. So can we build upon that performance or not?”
Their efforts appear to be paying off. After securing the pole position in October, Hamlin qualified second in Saturday’s time trials, earning a front-row starting spot alongside teammate Christopher Bell.
Gayle believes ambient temperatures will significantly influence how teams balance their race cars for the 400-mile event. The spring race saw an uncharacteristic 25th-place finish for the No. 11 team in March 2025, when temperatures peaked at a cool 71 degrees Fahrenheit. In contrast, on a warmer October afternoon last fall, with temperatures around 77 degrees, Hamlin led nine laps en route to victory.
“It helps specifically, like for us, when we were better in the fall than the spring, and we want to use those fall notes more closely than we did the spring race. That’s really about it,” Gayle explained. “And I think you have enough time and you get enough spring and fall races, the temperature differences, you can kind of understand the compensation you need to make for it.”
Larson and Hendrick Motorsports Navigate New Chevrolet Body Panels
The car that led the most laps last fall was the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, driven by Kyle Larson and led by crew chief Cliff Daniels. The team achieved Chevrolet’s quickest qualifying time on Saturday and will start fifth. However, they are also adapting to updated body panels on Chevrolet’s 2026 Camaro ZL1. Las Vegas represents the season’s first intermediate oval, providing a crucial test for Chevrolet’s advancements. The team enters Sunday’s race with only 20 laps of practice and one qualifying lap on the track to supplement their simulation data.
“Twenty minutes isn’t long to adjust on it, but everybody’s in the same boat,” Daniels stated. “And really grateful for all the people at GM, Chevrolet for bringing us a car that we believe has a lot more potential still to get in it. It’s going to take us a minute to figure out how to balance it out and get it closer. But all signs were looking pretty good today, and now we’ve just got to work on getting the balance a little bit closer for making him comfortable. But I think it’s close.”
Strategic Decisions and Pit Stall Advantage
The question remains: which strategy will prove most effective on Sunday afternoon? In October 2024, Joey Logano masterfully stretched his fuel mileage for 69 laps to claim victory over Christopher Bell, who had been the dominant driver for much of the day. The solution to Sunday’s puzzle likely resides within the crew chiefs’ notebooks, contingent on them selecting the correct approach.
“I mean, we’ve studied a lot of the Vegas, Kansas type intermediate races. They all play out very similar,” Daniels observed. “There’s some cautions that you’ve got to look for if they fall at certain spots. Otherwise, the stages play out very similar to one another between those two track types and especially over the years. So all that’s in mind. I don’t expect anything new. Certainly going to be hot and slick, so grip will be a priority. And otherwise, it’s just going to be making good decisions in the moment and execute when we can.”
Pit-stall selection has also emerged as a critical factor in past Las Vegas races. The pit road, which follows a curve along the frontstretch, creates distinct advantages and disadvantages for certain pit stalls. This includes pit stall No. 1, the box closest to pit exit. Daniels opted for stall No. 15 for the third time in the last four Vegas races. Meanwhile, Gayle selected pit stall No. 6 for the No. 11 team. Adam Stevens, crew chief for Bell’s pole-winning car, chose pit stall No. 1, a departure from their selection of stall No. 6 when the No. 20 team last earned the pole in October 2024.
The debate surrounding pit stall selection is intricate and ongoing. However, how drivers navigate their pit entry and exit could significantly influence the race’s outcome.
“I think there’s lots of people to complain about how well (that first pit stall) launches, and it does not launch very well,” Gayle commented. “And then there’s also the factors of which pit stalls get the best rolling times as well. And obviously, we have enough data. I’ve been in stall one now. I’ve been not stall one with Denny. We can compare and see what the trade-offs are and make the decision based on that.”
