NASCAR Championship Recap
Introduction to the Championship Finale
AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kyle Larson knew he wasn’t going to catch Denny Hamlin in the final laps on Sunday, not without the sort of help that only a caution flag can bring.
Larson got his lucky break.
Hamlin only got heartbreak.
Larson is now a two-time NASCAR champion after denying Hamlin what would have been his first career title when a late caution at Phoenix Raceway sent the championship-deciding finale into overtime.
Without that caution, which came with three laps to run, Hamlin had it locked up and was ready to finally shed the label of greatest NASCAR driver to never win a championship. But fellow title contender William Byron got a flat tire and hit the wall to bring out the caution, and a few minutes later, it was over.
The Turning Point
“Just unbelievable,” Larson said. “I cannot believe it.”
Neither could Hamlin.
“I really don’t have much for emotion right now. Just numb about it ’cause just in shock,” Hamlin said after consoling his crying daughters on pit road. “We were 40 seconds away from a championship. This sport can drive you absolutely crazy because sometimes speed, talent, none of that matters.”
When the caution for Byron came out, Hamlin led the field down pit road and got four new tires on his Toyota; Larson only took two tires on his Chevrolet. It meant Larson was fifth for the two-lap sprint to the finish, with Hamlin back in 10th.
The Final Outcome
With so little time to run down Larson, Hamlin came up short with a sixth-place finish as Larson finished third. Ryan Blaney, who was eliminated from title contention last week, won the race.
“You do have to feel for that group and Denny. Doing a good job all day, it not playing out for him. But that is racing. It sucks sometimes,” Blaney said. “They can hang their head about it, but they should be very proud about the effort. They had the fastest race car here. Just one of those things where it doesn’t work out. Looked like it was going into his favor, unfortunately for him, it didn’t.”
Reaction and Aftermath
It is the second championship for Larson, who won his first title in 2021 when he joined Hendrick Motorsports. It is the 15th Cup title for the organization and came on the 30th anniversary of Jeff Gordon giving Hendrick its first championship in 1995.
As Larson celebrated, Hamlin sat in his car motionless for several seconds, then wiped his face with a white towel, never showing any emotion.
Larson, who has been in a slump since his disastrous Memorial Day attempt to race both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, was also in shock.
“We didn’t lead a lap and won the championship," Larson said. “We had an average car at best and had the right front (tire) go down, lost a lap and got the wave around, saved by the caution with the wave around. It’s just unbelievable. What a year by this motorsports team.”
Team Reaction
Team owner Rick Hendrick, Gordon and Larson crew chief Cliff Daniels all said they did not believe Larson still had a chance at the championship after so many problems during the race.
“I have to acknowledge that it was a pretty ugly day for us,” Daniels said. “I think we were beat on raw pace, and after we had the flat tire, there wasn’t a lot of good things coming our way. The way the team stuck together and continued to believe in each other, Kyle continued to believe if we just had a shot we could close it out.”
Hamlin’s Disappointment
When Hamlin finally got out of his car he embraced his crew members but it was a scene of disbelief among the Joe Gibbs Racing crowd. Team members were crying, some sitting in shock on the pavement, Gibbs himself stood silent, one hand on his hip and a look of disbelief on his face.
It is the sixth shot at a title to slip away from Hamlin in his 20 years driving for Gibbs. He led 208 of the 319 laps and started from the pole.
“Nothing I could do different. I mean, prepared as good as I could coming into the weekend and my team gave me a fantastic car,” Hamlin said. “Just didn’t work out. I was just praying ‘no caution’ and we had one there. What can you do? It’s just not meant to be.”
Conclusion
The NASCAR championship finale ended in dramatic fashion, with Kyle Larson emerging as the champion after a late caution changed the course of the race. Denny Hamlin, who had been dominating the race, was left heartbroken as he fell short of his first championship title. The outcome was met with shock and disappointment from Hamlin’s team, while Larson and his team celebrated their second championship win.
FAQs
Q: Who won the NASCAR championship?
A: Kyle Larson won the NASCAR championship, denying Denny Hamlin his first title.
Q: What caused the late caution in the race?
A: A flat tire and subsequent wall hit by William Byron brought out the caution, sending the race into overtime.
Q: How many championships has Kyle Larson won?
A: Kyle Larson has won two NASCAR championships, with his first title coming in 2021.
Q: How many times has Denny Hamlin been eligible for the championship finale?
A: Denny Hamlin has been eligible for the championship finale six times, with this being his sixth shot at a title.
