Kyle Larson Crowned NASCAR Champion in Dramatic Finale
AVONDALE, Arizona – Kyle Larson clinched his second NASCAR championship in an exciting and dramatic final at Phoenix Raceway. The race, which seemed destined for Denny Hamlin, took an unexpected turn due to a late yellow flag that changed the course of the competition.
Larson, aware that he couldn’t catch Hamlin without the help of a caution flag, received that longed-for opportunity. However, for Hamlin, the yellow flag represented disappointment.
The yellow flag, caused by a flat tire on William Byron’s car, changed the course of the race with only three laps to go. Hamlin, who was leading the race and on the verge of securing his first title, saw his hopes vanish.
Simply incredible. I can’t believe it.
Kyle Larson
Hamlin’s decision to pit for four tires, while Larson only changed two, cost him valuable positions. Larson, with two new tires, positioned himself fifth for the last two laps, while Hamlin fell back to tenth position.
With no time to recover ground, Hamlin finished in sixth place, while Larson secured third place, enough to win the championship. Ryan Blaney, who was not in contention for the title, won the race.
For Hamlin, the defeat was a hard blow. After consoling his visibly affected daughters, he expressed his disbelief. “We were 40 seconds away from a championship. This sport can drive you crazy because sometimes speed, talent, none of that matters,” he said.
The frustration was palpable within the Joe Gibbs Racing team. Gibbs himself appeared visibly affected, reflecting the disappointment of a team that has seen the title slip away six times in Hamlin’s 20 years in the competition.
Hamlin led 208 of the 319 laps and started from the pole position, but luck was not on his side. “I couldn’t do anything different. I prepared myself as best as I could and my team gave me a fantastic car,” Hamlin said. “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.”Despite the defeat, Hamlin remained calm throughout the week, winning the pole and dominating the race until the end. “Man, if you can’t win that one, I don’t know which one you can win,” he commented.
As for Larson, who hasn’t won since early May, he acknowledged the surprise of his victory. “We didn’t lead a lap and we won the championship,” Larson said. “We had an average car at best and we had a right front tire that blew, we lost a lap and the yellow flag saved us. It’s just incredible. What a year for this racing team.”
Chase Briscoe, Hamlin’s teammate, finished 18th in his championship final debut, while Byron, Larson’s teammate, finished 33rd after his late problem. Byron regretted having ruined Hamlin’s opportunity, although his Hendrick Motorsports teammate won the championship.
