LAS VEGAS (AP) — Denny Hamlin has been NASCAR's main character this season, from his lawsuit against NASCAR and his weekly, opinion-laden podcasts to the defining role he played in setting the final eight drivers in the playoff field.

He could be the busiest driver in the Cup Series; he also welcomed the birth of his third child in June, an occasion that caused him to skip NASCAR's race in Mexico City.

Through it all, he has prevailed.

At Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, he became the first driver to lock up a berth in the championship-deciding season finale — his first appearance in the winner-take-all race since 2021 — with his series-best sixth win of the season. It was win No. 60 for Hamlin, which was always his career goal, and cemented him as not only the winningest driver in

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