Kyle Larson Crowned NASCAR Champion in Dramatic Finale
AVONDALE, Arizona – Kyle Larson clinched the victory at the 2025 NASCAR Championship, snatching the title from Denny Hamlin in a final filled with unexpected twists. The race, held at Phoenix Raceway, culminated in a late caution flag that changed the course of the competition, leaving Hamlin heartbroken.
Larson, aware that he couldn’t catch Hamlin in the final laps without the help of a yellow flag, saw his opportunity when William Byron, another title contender, suffered a puncture that led him to crash into the wall. This unexpected situation triggered the much-awaited yellow flag for Larson.
Simply incredible. I can’t believe it.
Kyle Larson
The yellow flag completely changed the race’s landscape. Hamlin, who was comfortably leading, entered the pits to change all four tires, while Larson opted for only two. This strategic decision placed Larson in fifth position for the restart, while Hamlin was tenth.
With so little time to come back, Hamlin couldn’t catch Larson, finishing sixth, while Larson secured third place, enough to win the championship.
Ryan Blaney, who was no longer in contention for the title, won the race. “You have to feel sorry for that group and for Denny. They did a good job all day, but it didn’t go as they hoped. But that’s competition. Sometimes it’s tough,” commented Blaney.
For Larson, this is his second championship, after the one obtained in 2021 when he joined Hendrick Motorsports.
Hamlin, for his part, appeared visibly affected. “I really don’t have many emotions at the moment. I’m in shock,” Hamlin said after consoling his daughters in the pit.
The 44-year-old driver led 208 of the 319 laps and started from the pole position. “I couldn’t do anything different. I prepared as best I could for the weekend and my team gave me a fantastic car. It just didn’t work. I was praying there wouldn’t be a yellow flag and we had one. What can you do? It just wasn’t meant to be,” added Hamlin.This is the sixth time the title has slipped away from Hamlin in his 20-year career. “Man, if you can’t win that one, I don’t know which one you can win,” Hamlin lamented.
Hamlin’s teammate, Chase Briscoe, finished 18th in his championship final debut, while Byron, Larson’s teammate, finished 33rd due to his late issue. Byron expressed his regret for ruining Hamlin’s chances, even though his Hendrick Motorsports teammate won the championship.
