Imagine being on a highway, cruising along, only to have a speeding car zoom past you, leaving you in the dust. That’s exactly how Chase Briscoe felt when Denny Hamlin surged ahead to claim victory at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. But here’s where it gets controversial: was it a fair fight? Briscoe, running on two tires, was no match for Hamlin’s four-tire advantage in the final laps of the Round of 8 opener. Let’s dive into the details and explore why this race left fans and drivers alike questioning strategy and luck.
Briscoe’s comparison to a slow driver on the exit ramp is spot-on. ‘It’s like you’re going 15 miles an hour, and they’re flying by at 80,’ he said after securing fourth place. ‘There’s really nothing else I could’ve done.’ This wasn’t just a race—it was a battle of pit strategies, tire choices, and sheer determination. Briscoe had taken the lead off pit road during the final caution on lap 236, opting for two tires to gain position over Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski, who chose four. Meanwhile, Hamlin, starting 10th after his pit stop, was poised to strike.
The race restarted with 23 laps remaining, but a quick caution for a crash in Turns 1 and 2 gave Briscoe a brief reprieve. On the final restart with 14 laps to go, he initially pulled ahead, looking strong as Larson and Hamlin battled for second. And this is the part most people miss: Briscoe’s car was already struggling with balance, a result of earlier contact with the wall and a less-than-perfect pit stop. ‘I was so loose at the end,’ he admitted. ‘I had nothing left.’
Despite the loss, Briscoe found a silver lining: ‘At least Denny won. A JGR car took it, and it could’ve been anyone up there.’ But the real question lingers: Could Briscoe have held off Hamlin with a different strategy? Or was Hamlin’s four-tire advantage simply too much to overcome? What do you think?
Briscoe’s day was a rollercoaster. Starting alongside Hamlin on the front row, he dominated the first 35 laps before a botched pit stop dropped him to fifth. A late two-tire call in the final stage gave him a temporary lead, but his car’s balance never fully recovered after hitting the wall earlier. ‘We were stuck around fifth all day,’ he reflected. ‘Finishing fourth was probably better than we deserved, but it could’ve been worse.’
The 48-point haul from Sunday’s race was a game-changer, propelling Briscoe 15 points above the playoff cutoff. Looking ahead to Talladega, he joked about a ‘handshake agreement’ with his crew chief, James Small, to take it easy if he won at Las Vegas. ‘I won’t get that chance,’ he laughed. But his approach remains the same: race hard, execute, and let the points fall where they may.
Here’s the controversial question: Did Hamlin’s win rely too heavily on his tire advantage, or was it a testament to his skill and strategy? Share your thoughts in the comments—let’s spark a debate!
