Kyle Larson Edges Denny Hamlin in Thrilling Overtime Finish at Phoenix
In a heart-stopping conclusion to the NASCAR championship, Kyle Larson has edged out Denny Hamlin in a dramatic overtime finish at Phoenix Raceway. The victory marked Larson's second consecutive championship title, as he denied Hamlin what would have been his first career championship.
Larson's path to victory was far from smooth sailing, however. After suffering from a slump in recent weeks, the Hendrick Motorsports driver had been struggling, and many in the paddock had written him off as an outsider for the title. Nevertheless, Larson persevered, ultimately capitalizing on a crucial caution flag that sent the race into overtime.
In the end, Hamlin's hopes of winning his first championship were dashed by a combination of factors, including a strategic mistake by his team and a burst tire from teammate William Byron, which brought out the caution. With so little time to respond, Hamlin was unable to close the gap on Larson, who went on to finish third and secure the title.
The loss was a crushing blow for Hamlin, who had been widely regarded as the favorite to win before the race. Despite being the sympathetic choice due to his history of heartbreak in championship finales, Hamlin's team ultimately fell short, with crew chief Chris Gayle making the correct call on tires but too many others opting for fewer tires.
"It's just not meant to be," a somber Hamlin said after the loss. "I was praying 'no caution' and we had one there. What can you do? It's just racing."
The defeat marked Hamlin's sixth consecutive championship finale disappointment, having been on the verge of victory multiple times before. His team will undoubtedly regroup for next season, but for now, they'll have to console themselves with a string of impressive performances and a growing body of work.
As for Larson, his victory was a testament to his resilience and determination. "We didn't lead a lap and won the championship," he said in an understated moment after the win. "It's just unbelievable. What a year by this motorsports team."
The win marked Hendrick Motorsports' 15th Cup title, with Larson's teammate Jeff Gordon celebrating the milestone at the 30-year anniversary of his own championship-winning season in 1995.
When asked about Hamlin's loss, Larson expressed sympathy for his rival, saying, "I'm just super bummed that it was a caution obviously. I hate that. Hate it for Denny."
In a touching moment on pit road, Hamlin paid tribute to his team, hugging crew members and wiping away tears. His defeat was a tough pill to swallow, but it's clear that he'll be back stronger next season.
Larson and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates will celebrate their championship win for now, but the emotions will run deep in the paddock as they reflect on what could have been for Hamlin.
In a heart-stopping conclusion to the NASCAR championship, Kyle Larson has edged out Denny Hamlin in a dramatic overtime finish at Phoenix Raceway. The victory marked Larson's second consecutive championship title, as he denied Hamlin what would have been his first career championship.
Larson's path to victory was far from smooth sailing, however. After suffering from a slump in recent weeks, the Hendrick Motorsports driver had been struggling, and many in the paddock had written him off as an outsider for the title. Nevertheless, Larson persevered, ultimately capitalizing on a crucial caution flag that sent the race into overtime.
In the end, Hamlin's hopes of winning his first championship were dashed by a combination of factors, including a strategic mistake by his team and a burst tire from teammate William Byron, which brought out the caution. With so little time to respond, Hamlin was unable to close the gap on Larson, who went on to finish third and secure the title.
The loss was a crushing blow for Hamlin, who had been widely regarded as the favorite to win before the race. Despite being the sympathetic choice due to his history of heartbreak in championship finales, Hamlin's team ultimately fell short, with crew chief Chris Gayle making the correct call on tires but too many others opting for fewer tires.
"It's just not meant to be," a somber Hamlin said after the loss. "I was praying 'no caution' and we had one there. What can you do? It's just racing."
The defeat marked Hamlin's sixth consecutive championship finale disappointment, having been on the verge of victory multiple times before. His team will undoubtedly regroup for next season, but for now, they'll have to console themselves with a string of impressive performances and a growing body of work.
As for Larson, his victory was a testament to his resilience and determination. "We didn't lead a lap and won the championship," he said in an understated moment after the win. "It's just unbelievable. What a year by this motorsports team."
The win marked Hendrick Motorsports' 15th Cup title, with Larson's teammate Jeff Gordon celebrating the milestone at the 30-year anniversary of his own championship-winning season in 1995.
When asked about Hamlin's loss, Larson expressed sympathy for his rival, saying, "I'm just super bummed that it was a caution obviously. I hate that. Hate it for Denny."
In a touching moment on pit road, Hamlin paid tribute to his team, hugging crew members and wiping away tears. His defeat was a tough pill to swallow, but it's clear that he'll be back stronger next season.
Larson and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates will celebrate their championship win for now, but the emotions will run deep in the paddock as they reflect on what could have been for Hamlin.
... and that caution flag just changed everything, what a break for larson lol 
... i gotta say, though, hamlin's team made some good calls but they just got unlucky with the tire blowout on byron 
... and can you blame him for feeling down, 6th time out is tough 
... gotta respect larson's determination tho, he really put in the work to make that win happen 
. what really gets me is how gracious hamlin is, giving all the sympathy vibes on pit road 
. we should give it up for denny! 
i feel bad for him tho, he was so close to winning that championship... i think the crew chief did make the right call but sometimes you gotta roll with the punches, ya know? larson's win is still pretty awesome though - 2nd title in a row! what's up with hamlin and all these championship finale disappointments tho? seems like he just can't catch a break 
he went from being considered an outsider to winning his 2nd straight title and it's just insane! hamlin's got some serious skills tho, but sometimes its just not meant to be 
i feel bad for him, but congrats to kyle and his team on their 15th cup title 
gordon was so hyped when he celebrated that milestone, i wish i could've seen it live 
larson's response about hamlin being a "bummer" is everything 
, this NASCAR championship finale was like a rollercoaster ride of emotions... Larson really proved himself to be one tough driver 
after being written off by many. His determination and perseverance paid off in the end 
, and I'm seriously impressed by how he managed to pull it off despite being written off as an outsider by so many 
. It just goes to show that you never give up, even when everyone else thinks you're done for 
Anyway, Denny Hamlin was really close to winning but his team made some mistakes... or something 
. And poor guy is already crying on pit road 
u cant blame hamlin 2 much, hes had some tough breaks in the past 
nd who knows maybe they'll even get thier revenge on larson 
but 4 now, congrats 2 larsen n hendrick motorsports 
that's just pure humility. And can we talk about Hamlin's team for a second? They put everything on the line and it just wasn't meant to be this time around 
. The Hendrick team is on fire rn 
. Hopefully next season he'll bounce back and bring home that championship 