Bobby Travis · NASCAR/IndyCar-Korrespondent
A week after the bitter last-lap defeat in Kansas, Chase Briscoe proved in Las Vegas just how much mental strength he possesses.
Chase Briscoe claimed his second win of the 2026 season at the South Point 400 on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 31-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver with the number 19 held off a hard final-lap charge from Kyle Larson, crossing the finish line with a 1.376-second advantage and bouncing back just seven days after a Kansas defeat where he lost the lead to Larson in the closing stages.
Dominance for Most of the Race
Briscoe and his crew chief James Small showed little sign of doubt throughout much of the South Point 400. The JGR driver won both Stage 1 and Stage 2, leading the field in 175 of 267 laps, a statistic that underscores his control of the race. Only in the closing stages did things truly tighten up for Briscoe.
Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick worked their way forward through heavy traffic in the final laps, putting pressure on the race leader. There was no talk of a one-sided affair in those decisive final minutes.
Close Finish, Larson Clips the Wall
On the final lap of the race, Larson attacked for the lead coming into the last turn. He ran along the outside wall in the process, making contact with Reddick as he did so. Both drivers managed to guide their cars across the finish line anyway, Larson securing second place and Reddick third. Briscoe remained untouched by the drama and brought the victory home safely.
The fact that Larson, who had been the beneficiary of Briscoe's mistake in Kansas, now found himself taking a risk and narrowly avoiding a bigger problem surely provided Briscoe and his team with an extra measure of satisfaction.
Relief After Kansas
For Briscoe, the win following the mental toll of the previous week was, above all else, a relief. "Last week was absolutely no fun mentally after blowing that opportunity. I was terrified of facing crew chief James Small again if I didn't bring this one home. I think if I'd lost this race, the team wouldn't have even let me on the plane," Briscoe said after the race. "That's why I'm so relieved we got it done."
Crew Chief James Small also made clear just how tense the final laps were from the pit box. "It was extremely stressful. When Larson went charging along that wall, it felt like Jaws. You don't want your driver losing the race on the final laps two weeks in a row," Small said.
Chase Outlook
With 75 points from Las Vegas, Briscoe improves to sixth place in the Chase standings and keeps his title hopes alive in the ongoing 2026 Chase. The second seasonal win should give the JGR driver additional confidence heading into the remaining Chase races.
Despite his brush with the wall, Kyle Larson benefited from troubles among direct rivals, including a spin by Denny Hamlin and a steering failure for Christopher Bell, and extended his Chase points lead to 40 ahead of the field. For Briscoe, that means: the Las Vegas win was important, but there's still considerable work ahead to close the gap to the leader in the championship fight.
