Kyle Larson on Denny Hamlin’s 2025 Phoenix Heartbreak: ‘We Knew the Format’
· Yahoo Sports
Kyle Larson says he did feel bad for Denny Hamlin after last year’s championship race. But Larson also said both drivers knew what they were racing for.
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Larson made the comments on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, a weekly motorsports show, two days after winning at Talladega.
“I don’t know. I mean, there was definitely an element last year in the race at Phoenix where I did feel bad for him,” Larson said.
“That was such an awkward feeling. It was just an awkward position for me to be in, to even have to feel that way, you know?” he added.
“We knew the format, and he did as well,” Larson said.
Hamlin was in control late in the 2025 finale at Phoenix Raceway. Then William Byron had a flat tire and hit the wall, and the caution sent the race to overtime.
Hamlin took four tires on his final stop, while Larson took two. Larson restarted fifth and Hamlin 10th for the two-lap dash.
Ryan Blaney won the race. Larson finished third and won his second Cup title, while Hamlin finished sixth and missed out on his first NASCAR Cup championship.
This year, the two are fighting for the title again. Larson said Hamlin has driven well this season.
“But this year, I feel like he’s performed really well,” Larson said. He added, “In his defense, maybe there’s been some bad luck and things, but Phoenix was definitely bad luck.”
The format has changed since last year. The Chase now runs 10 races with 16 drivers and no eliminations, so points carry all the way to the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Larson leads Hamlin by 73 points with two races left. Christopher Bell is third, 74 points back, and Chase Briscoe is fourth, 77 back. Larson’s Talladega win was also his 19th in the Next Gen car, breaking a tie with Hamlin for the most.
Larson can clinch his third title this weekend. A win and four stage points at Martinsville would lock up the championship.
If Larson does not clinch at Martinsville, the title will be decided at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 8.
The two drivers have already crossed paths on track during this year’s Chase. Larson took the blame for contact with Hamlin on a restart at Charlotte earlier this month.
Hamlin is in his 21st full-time Cup season and is still looking for his first title. He is also a co-owner of 23XI Racing. Larson won his first title in 2021, his first season with Hendrick Motorsports.