Kyle Larson Crowned NASCAR Champion in Dramatic Finale
In a race filled with emotions and unexpected twists, Kyle Larson emerged as the NASCAR champion for the second time in his career. The event, held at the Phoenix Raceway, culminated in a heart-stopping finish that left fans on the edge of their seats.
Larson, aware that catching Denny Hamlin in the final laps would be a difficult task, saw his luck change with a yellow flag that reconfigured the competition. This crucial moment, caused by a puncture and the subsequent crash of William Byron, altered the course of the race, depriving Hamlin of his long-awaited first title.
“It’s incredible. I can’t believe it,” declared an excited Larson.
Kyle Larson
The teams’ strategy played a crucial role in this outcome. While Hamlin opted to change all four tires, Larson only changed two, which gave him an advantage on the restart. Despite Hamlin’s efforts to recover from tenth position, he could only reach sixth place, while Larson secured third place, enough to secure the championship.
The champion, who didn’t lead any laps during the race, expressed his surprise and gratitude for the victory. “We had a regular car, but the team did a great job.”
On the other hand, Hamlin, visibly affected, expressed his disbelief and frustration at how the championship slipped away. Hamlin, who led 208 of the 319 laps and started from the pole position, saw his opportunity vanish, adding a new chapter to his history of bad luck in the finals.
The disappointment took hold of the Joe Gibbs Racing team, with team members visibly shocked.The 44-year-old driver, who had been a victim of bad luck in previous finals, remained calm throughout the week, but fate played a trick on him once again.
Chase Briscoe, Hamlin’s teammate, finished in 18th position, while Byron, Larson’s teammate, finished in 33rd place after his incident. Byron regretted having affected Hamlin’s chances.
“I’m just very disappointed that there was obviously a caution. I hate it. I hate it for Denny. I hate it for the 11 team,” Byron said. “I mean, Denny was on his way to it. I hate it. There’s a lot of respect there. Obviously, I don’t want to cause a caution. If I had known which tire it was, known a tire was going down before getting to the corner, I would have done something different.”
