Denny Hamlin spent nearly the entirety of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway racing with Kyle Larson in his rearview. It wasn’t until the white flag came out in overtime when he first saw Larson in front of him.

Hamlin was less than three laps away from winning the 2025 Cup Series title when William Byron crashed, resulting in a caution. Hamlin took four tires on the ensuing pit stop, restarted in ninth and couldn’t catch Kyle Larson, who restarted fifth and finished second to beat Hamlin and capture the championship.

The 2025 NASCAR season culminated in a dramatic, three-day Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway, delivering high-stakes finishes and emotional turmoil across all three national series. The action began on Friday with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series finale,