Blaney wins Nascar race, but strategic gamble gives Larson the championship ahead of Hamlin and Briscoe
Kyle Larson is once again the champion of Nascar, securing his second Cup Series title on a tense Sunday in Phoenix where everything turned on a late caution and a crucial pit call. The Hendrick Motorsports driver, thirty-three, cruised across the line in third place, one spot ahead of title rival Denny Hamlin, who had dominated the day only to see his dreams slip away in the final laps.
Ryan Blaney won the race, his fourth victory of the year, beating Brad Keselowski in an overtime sprint. But the celebrations in the pit lane centered around Larson, who used a bold two-tire strategy to leap from outside the top ten into championship-winning position on the final restart.
Hamlin, after leading a race-high 208 laps, appeared destined for his first championship in twenty full-time Cup seasons. But a flat tire for William Byron with three laps to go brought out a caution and scrambled the order. While many drivers, including Larson, opted for just two tires, Hamlin’s team changed all four. He restarted behind Larson and was unable to recover the ground, ultimately finishing sixth as the title slipped from his grasp.
Larson, speechless at the finish, admitted, “We didn’t lead a single lap, and honestly, I still can’t believe it. We had an average car at best, but we kept in it, stayed out of trouble, and took advantage of the breaks when they came.”
Chase Briscoe and Byron, also competing in the championship four, ran into trouble: Briscoe finished eighteenth after tire issues, while Byron fell to thirty-third following a late crash that set up the final dash.
This title solidifies Larson’s status among Nascar’s modern greats, making him only the third Hendrick driver with multiple championships, alongside Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. The season now heads into the winter break, with Larson’s triumph bringing a close to another dramatic chapter in Cup Series history.
