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AVONDALE, Ariz. — Kyle Larson won the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series title without leading a lap Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.
Sometimes taking advantage of opportunities is the way to win a championship, and Larson did just that as he became the 18th driver ever to win multiple Cup titles. Ryan Blaney, not one of the championship contenders, won the race, while Denny Hamlin fell short of an elusive title in heartbreaking fashion.
Here are my takeaways:
1. Larson Doesn’t Need To Lead
Taking advantage of a late caution when Hendrick teammate William Byron blew a tire and hit the wall with less than three laps remaining, Larson was among those who pitted for two tires while Hamlin — who had led 208 of the 312 laps until those pit stops — took four.
That resulted in Larson restarting five spots ahead of Hamlin. Larson was able to hold on and finish third while Hamlin was sixth. The irony wasn’t lost on Larson, who didn’t win in the final 24 races of the season — while the three other finalists (Hamlin, Chase Briscoe and William Byron) had all won in the semifinal round to earn spots in the four-driver championship field.
The driver who finished the best among them won the title and that was Larson despite Hamlin’s relative dominance and Byron leading 52 laps and Briscoe leading three.
“Honestly, I can’t believe it,” Larson said. “Like, we didn’t lead a lap today. Somehow won the championship.”
Kyle Larson’s three children celebrate in victory lane after Larson’s 2025 title.
2. Hamlin Devastated
The postrace news conference with Hamlin was one of those excruciating ones considering how painful this one had to be for the 60-time Cup winner.
He is now 0-for-5 when qualifying for the championship round, and he also came just short in 2010 in the previous 10-race championship format. He at least knows the format will change starting next year (NASCAR won’t announce a new format for at least a few weeks and possibly a couple of months), which might fit more in his wheelhouse.
Even his competitors could feel for him. Blaney, the race winner: “That is racing. It sucks sometimes … They had the fastest race car here. Just one of those things where it doesn’t work out.”
Denny Hamlin is left wondering what could have been at Phoenix.
3. Tire Issues Plague Byron, Briscoe
All four of the championship finalists had a tire issue at one point. Briscoe had a couple of tires blow and was able to pit before more damage, while Byron had the unfortunate crash at the end.
Goodyear brought a new left-side tire for this race, and the teams pretty much admitted the issues were self-inflicted — the cars run faster on lower air pressures and the teams took risks for speed in the championship race.
Briscoe might have had a shot if he didn’t have his problem; Byron’s came after it appeared that Hamlin was going to outrun him for the title. For Byron, coming up short for a third consecutive year had to sting a little more than for Briscoe, in his first championship appearance.
A late tire issue derailed championship finalist William Byron’s day.
4. Blaney Finally Wins Phoenix
Blaney had finished second in the championship race in each of the last three years, including 2023 when he won the Cup title.
So for him, it was cool to win. And he was able to do it without impacting the championship, thankfully ahead of Larson for the entire two-lap overtime.
Blaney failed to advance to the championship round, but he wouldn’t play the what-if game. That really isn’t his style: “I wouldn’t say it’s like bittersweet,” he said. “I’ll enjoy it just like any other win.”
Ryan Blaney wasn’t in the Championship 4 but ended his season on a high note with a win.
4 ½. What’s next?
The offseason, and certainly no one can use it more than Hamlin. As far as Phoenix, when NASCAR returns in March 6-8, it will be the first oval points race with the new 750 horsepower package (the race Sunday was 670 horsepower). It also will feature a weekend with INDYCAR racing Saturday as part of a doubleheader with the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (the new name for what has been the Xfinity Series) followed by Cup on Sunday.
And that’s a wrap on the 2025 NASCAR season.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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