Hamlin leads Toyota sweep of Las Vegas Cup qualifying

Defending race winner Denny Hamlin capped a dominant Toyota performance in Saturday’s Busch Light Pole Qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway claiming his fifth pole position of the season and leading a Toyota top-five sweep of the NASCAR Cup Series starting grid for Sunday’s South Point 400 (5:30pm ET on USA).

Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota turned a fast lap of 186.787 mph around the 1.5-mile Las Vegas high banks – edging his JGR teammate, Ty Gibbs in the No. 54 Toyota by a slight. 017s. JGR’s Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe and 23XI Racing’s Tyler Reddick rounded out that top five.

It marks only the second time Toyota has swept the top-five qualifying positions. The first time came at Indianapolis last season. It marks the JGR team’s first ever top-four sweep. It’s Hamlin’s 53rd career pole position and is his 19th top-10 start through the opening 30 races.

“It is important and the races we’ve really succeeded well here, we’ve started up front," the 45-year-old Virginian Hamlin said, conceding he was more nervous going into this session because of the extreme heat. After weeks of poor weather and cancelled qualifying sessions, Saturday’s edition took place under sunny Nevada skies and temperatures in the mid-90s.

“Today was executed by the team perfectly with how we approached the week and the adjustments we made to the car for temperatures seemed to be really good changes. I couldn’t have asked for today to go a whole lot better than it did."

Championship-eligible drivers filled the first 14 positions on the speed chart. Reigning series champion and current championship leader, Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson was sixth fastest in the No. 5 Chevrolet, with Team Penske Ford driver Austin Cindric, Hendrick’s William Byron, 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace and Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar rounding out the top 10 on the grid.

Team Penske teammates Ryan Blaney (20th) and Joey Logano (23rd) were the only outliers. They come into the race ranked fourth and fifth in championship, but will have to make their way forward. Logano’s four Las Vegas wins ties him with NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson for most all-time.

Hamlin is a three-time Las Vegas winner and has hoisted a trophy in Victory Lane the last two races at the track. A third straight win this weekend would match an all-time mark also held by Johnson. He’s won five times in 2023, but not since earning a three-race string of trophies at Nashville, Michigan and Pocono, Pa. from May 31-June 14.

Hamlin trails Larson by only 26 points after four races of the 10-race Chase schedule. Bell is third, 50 points back and Logano is fourth, 67 points off the pace.

“This sport is week by week, and we're all guilty of over-reacting on Mondays about what we just saw over the weekend," Hamlin said of predicting the race vibe on Sunday. “But, you know, the 5-car (Larson) could easily just drive right up through there and pass us and win the race again. You never know, or we could do the same thing he did last week [in a dominating win at Kansas Speedway].

“We just don't know," Hamlin said offering a slight smile at the Vegas venue. “If we all knew, then you guys should go place your bets and go make a lot of money.”

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