Kyle Larson is the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion, Ryan Blaney won the race, and Denny Hamlin walked away from Phoenix Raceway with another heartbreak he’ll never forget.
For much of the night, Hamlin looked like the man to beat. He started from the pole, led the most laps, and even turned the fastest one of the evening.
Every restart, Denny looked like the man to beat. He fought through clutch issues that made getting off pit road tricky, dealt with tire vibrations mid-race, and still kept his Toyota planted firmly at the front.
It was the right car, the right driver, the right night.
Until it wasn’t.
With fewer than five laps to go, William Byron—Hamlin’s toughest challenger for the title—blew a tire while running inside the top five.
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The yellow flag flew, setting up an overtime finish that would decide everything.
The tension was thick as the field hit pit road.
Hamlin’s team made the call to take four fresh tires, betting on grip and control from the fresh rubber.
Larson’s crew rolled the dice the only way they could, taking just two tires, gambling for track position.
It was the decision that changed everything.
On the restart, Hamlin lined up two rows behind Larson, knowing it might be the last chance to rewrite his career’s story.
But the two-tire call worked to perfection.
Larson got a great restart, wedging himself between slower cars, blocking Hamlin’s advance, while Hamlin’s car took a moment too long to come alive.
Ryan Blaney slipped through in the final corner to secure the win.
Brad Keselowski, who led the final restart, was edged out by the No. 12 Ford.
As the checkered flag waved behind Blaney, Hamlin’s radio was quiet.
His voice, when it finally cracked through, carried the sound of disbelief and exhaustion. He had done everything right.
“Yeah, nothing I can do different,” Hamlin said. “Prepared as good as I could coming into the weekend. My team gave me a fantastic car. Just didn’t work out. I was just praying that no caution. Had one there. What can you do? Just not meant to be.”
He led the race, handled every problem thrown at him, and made every move that champions make.
But once again, the sport turned cruel in its timing.
Larson climbed from his car a 2-time champion, his second title built on precision and nerve.
“Honestly, I can’t believe it,” Larson said. “We didn’t lead a lap today. Somehow won the championship. We had an average car at best. We had the right front go down, lost a lap. Got saved by the caution. Took two tires. I was like, ‘Oh, God, here we go.’ It had a lot more grip than I anticipated. We got lucky with the final caution.”
He credited his team for the poise and execution that carried them through.
“What a year by this Hendrick Motorsports group,” he said. “Cliff Daniels, everybody — his leadership just showed that whole race. Keeping us all motivated, always having a plan. That’s just the story of our season.”
Blaney celebrated another Phoenix win as Larson soaked in his championship moment.
Hamlin, helmet still on, sat in his seat for a long moment before climbing out.
“I thought still okay,” Hamlin said of the final caution. “We took four tires. I thought that definitely was the right call. Just so many cars took two there. Obviously put us back. Team did a fantastic job. They prepared a championship car. Just didn’t happen.”
He hugged his crew, and tried to smile. But everyone around him knew it.
This one hurt more than the rest.
“I’ll try,” Hamlin said when asked if he could keep chasing the title. “I got a couple more shots at it. Man, if you can’t win that one, I don’t know which one you can win.”
The right car didn’t win. The right story didn’t finish the way it should have. Denny Hamlin was brilliant, maybe even destined, and somehow, some way, it still slipped away.
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