​Motorsport photoAt one point, there were four cars within one second of each other in the closing laps of the NASCAR Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but unlike Kansas, no one could get around Chase Briscoe this week.It was also the halfway point of the 2026 Chase, and while Kyle Larson extended his advantage, it was an unusual race for all of the top three drivers in the standings.Here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers from NASCAR’s 400-miler in Vegas:WINNER: Chase Briscoe reignites title hopes with big win (and avoids being thrown off the roof by James Small)Watch: Briscoe on winning Vegas thriller: ‘What else more could you want?’Briscoe was gutted after letting the win slip away at Kansas, and he had to be feeling deja vu near the end of the Vegas race. He again held the lead, and Larson was again hounding him for the top spot. But this time, Briscoe held on for a hugely important race win, erasing 39 points out of his deficit. At Kansas, he thought his title hopes were over, but Vegas showed just how quickly things can change. He also saved himself from the wrath of his fiery crew chief James Small, who jokingly remarked: “I was a little worried I was going to have to throw him off this building if he gave that one away after last week.”
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Chase Briscoe wins Las Vegas NASCAR Cup as Larson and Reddick crash across finish line
Chase Briscoe relieved to make up for falling short last week with win at Las Vegas
LOSER: Denny Hamlin’s strong start spirals out of controlWatch: Hamlin after Vegas: ‘Didn’t live up to what we expected’What is going on with the No. 11 team? They just keep spinning their wheels after entering the Chase as the title favorites, and Hamlin appeared extremely down after the Vegas race. He started from pole and led the first 40 laps, while title rival Larson went a lap down due to handling woes. It was a massive opportunity, but after the team decided to give up the lead for fresh right-side tires, it was difficult to get back to the front. Hamlin made it up to fourth, but while trying to get more, he spun out just a few laps shy of Stage 1 … and then things just spiraled. He slammed the splitter when the car spun onto the apron and they could never get the balance right after that. He scored no stage points, had a brief loss of fuel pressure, and finished 16th in a race he could have won. The damage could have been worse, but he still fell to -40pts back of the lead. 
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Denny Hamlin explains costly Las Vegas spin in rough NASCAR Cup race
WINNER: Kyle Larson/Cliff Daniels fight back from one lap down in stunning comebackWatch: Race Rewind: Briscoe prevails in wild Las Vegas finishLarson drove a great race, but it was crew chief Cliff Daniels who put in a Chad Knaus-esque performance. After Larson dropped outside the top ten in the early laps, Daniels made the bold decision to make aggressive changes inside the right-front under green, losing a lap due to the 26-second pit stop. But i