Larson wins second NASCAR championship in crushing blow to Hamlin

Kyle Larson, long described as one of the best wheelmen in motorsports, is now a two-time NASCAR champion.

Larson, 33, outdueled fellow title contenders Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe and William Byron to win the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship Sunday, Nov. 2 at Phoenix Raceway, the same track where he captured his first title in 2021.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver, who started third, also finished third in the No. 5 Chevrolet behind race winner Ryan Blaney, who notched his fourth win of the 2025 season with the overtime victory following a late-race caution for Byron’s flat tire. Brad Keselowski finished second.

But Larson’s result was enough to deliver a championship in a format in which four drivers go head-to-head in the final race and the best finish wins.

Larson also joined elite company, becoming just the third Hendrick driver to win multiple championships. The others are Hall of Famers and two of the best in auto racing history: seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson and four-time champion Jeff Gordon.

After climbing out of his car, Larson immediately embraced his wife and team owner Rick Hendrick and celebrated with his children.

‘Honestly, I really can’t believe it. Like we didn’t lead a lap today and somehow still won the championship,’ a stunned and exhausted Larson said in a post-race interview with NBC. ‘Really I’m just speechless; I can’t believe it. We had an average car at best …

‘We got lucky there with that final caution. I was really hoping we were going to take two (tires) again because I felt like I learned a lot on the previous restart.’

Hamlin finished sixth, but was just three laps from winning his first championship after 20 full-time seasons in the Cup Series. The 44-year-old had the dominant car all day, leading 208 laps, and was cruising to the race win and the title when the caution flag came out as Byron crashed into the wall with a flat right front tire in Turn 4.

Larson was among a handful of drivers who took just two tires on the caution ahead of the overtime restart, while Hamlin took four. That allowed Larson to restart five spots ahead of Hamlin for the two-lap overtime sprint.

Hamlin was circumspect but clearly dejected in a post-race interview with NBC after the one item missing from his Hall-of-Fame résumé slipped away.

‘Nothing I could do different. I mean I prepared as good as I could coming into the weekend. My team gave me a fantastic car. It just didn’t work out,’ Hamlin said. ‘I was just praying for no caution, and we had one there. What can you do. It’s just not meant to be.

‘The team did a fantastic job. They prepared a championship car; it just didn’t happen.’

Briscoe 18th and Byron 33rd in what could be the final season of the one-race championship or even 10-race elimination playoff format.

While Larson celebrated his championship, Blaney also got to celebrate winning the final race of the season.

‘It’s just cool to end it on a good note. It’s just cool and obviously we had a fast car all day,’ Blaney said. ‘I’m just really proud of the whole group and cool to end it in victory lane. It’s a shame we weren’t in the Championship 4. Congrats to Kyle and that whole team.’

USA TODAY Sports had full coverage of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race. Scroll below for full race recap and highlights.

NASCAR Championship Race highlights

Watch the extended highlights from the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway:

William Byron hits the wall, sends NASCAR Championship to overtime

With three laps remaining in the race, William Byron, who was running second to Denny Hamlin, suffered a flat right front tire to bring out the caution and send the race to overtime.

Following stops where three drivers stayed out and a handful took only two tires, Kyle Larson restarts fifth, Denny Hamlin 10th and Chase Briscoe 15th. William Byron is two laps down after his crash.

NASCAR Championship Race update: Hamlin and Byron run first and second

Denny Hamlin and William Byron raced past fellow championship contenders Chase Briscoe and Kyle Larson on restart to run first and second, respectively.

Joey Logano sits in third, Ryan Blaney fourth, Kyle Larson fifth and Chase Briscoe sixth.

NASCAR Championship Race update: Caution comes out with 33 laps left

JJ Yeley suffered a wheel issue entering Turn 3, to bringing out the caution flag, allowing all the field to come down pit road for fresh tires.

Chase Briscoe and Kyle Larson each took only two tires to vault to the front row. Denny Hamlin and William Byron each took four tires, and run third and fourth, respectively – putting all four Championship 4 drivers at the front of the field.

Denny Hamlin takes lead on restart on NASCAR Championship Race

Denny Hamlin outdueled William Byron on a restart on Lap 267 of the 312-lap NASCAR Cup Series Championshp Race to retake the lead. Hamlin then built up a 1-second lead over Byron as each seek their first championship. Ryan Blaney runs third, followed by Josh Berry, Joey Loagno and Chase Briscoe. Kyle Larson races in 13th position.

Caution comes out for Austin Cindric with William Byron leading

Austin Cindric slammed into the outside wall after a flat tire to bring out the caution on Lap 260 of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race.

William Byron won the race off pit road after the field came in for tires and fuel. Chase Elliott came off second, Denny Hamlin third and Ryan Blaney fourth. But Elliott was penalized for speeding on pit road, moving Hamlin up to the second position.

Chase Briscoe will restart 10th and Kyle Larson 18th with roughly 50 laps remaining in the race.

NASCAR Championship Race: 60 laps remaining

William Byron passes teammate Chase Elliott for the lead with 60 laps remaining in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race. Fellow championship contender Denny Hamlin, who dominated huge swaths of the race, runs second after also passing Elliott. Chase Briscoe runs 14th, and Kyle Larson 21st.

Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe get flat tires to shake up championship

Kyle Larson got a flat right front tire while running in the eighth position, and moments later, Chase Briscoe suffered a flat right rear tire while running in second. Both drivers were able to get to pit road for service under green but fell one lap down.

A couple laps later, Carson Hocevar also suffered a flat tire and slammed into the outside wall to bring out the caution on Lap 220 of the 312-lap race.

William Byron led Ryan Blaney when the yellow flag came out.

William Byron takes lead as Stage 3 of NASCAR Championship Race begins

William Byron outdueled Ryan Blaney on the restart to take the lead to begin the final segment of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race. Ross Chastain moved up to second, and Chase Briscoe, who seemed out of the race after a flat tire in Stage 2, has vaulted all the way up to third.

Denny Hamlin is up to seventh ater restarting 11th, and Kyle Larson follows behind in eighth after restarting 18th.

Denny Hamlin wins Stage 2 under caution

Ty Dillon spun and hit the outside wall with three laps remaining in Stage 2 to end the segment under caution with Denny Hamlin leading.

Hamlin has led 159 of 312 laps, and his No. 11 Toyota has been by far the fastest car even as Hamlin battles clutch issues. Ryan Blaney finished second in Stage 2, William Byron third and Kyle Larson fourth. Chase Briscoe rebounded from a flat tire earlier in Stage 2 to surge all the way back seventh after falling as far back as 32nd.

During pit stops, Hamlin’s pit crew had issues getting the jack under the left side due to a flat tire, dropping him from the lead all the way back to 11th. Larson’s pit crew also had problems with the jack, and he fell back to 18th.

Blaney led the race off pit road followed by Byron.

Caution flies on Lap 149 for AJ Allmendinger

The right front tire on AJ Allmendinger’s No. 16 Chevrolet went down, sending the Kauling Racing driver crashing hard into the outside wall to bring out a caution flag on Lap 149. Allmendinger vacated his damaged vehicle, ending his race.

The yellow flag allowed drivers to get fuel and tires under caution, and once again Denny Hamlin won the race off pit road, followed by Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson and William Byron. Chase Briscoe’s pit crew vaulted the final championship contender from 21st to 13th on the stop.

NASCAR Championship Race update: Lap 145

Denny Hamlin has pulled away for another big lead with roughly 40 laps remaining in Stage 2. Ryan Blaney, the 2023 champion, just passed Kyle Larson for second and runs about 2.6 seconds behind Hamlin. Larson runs third and William Byron fourth. Chase Briscoe, the final championship contender sits in 21st position.

Championship contender Chase Briscoe gets flat tire

Chase Briscoe had to come down pit road with a flat right-rear tire on Lap 106, but he was fortunate that a caution flag had come out moments earlier when Shane van Gisbergen spun out.

Briscoe was running fifth at the time, having passed Carson Hocevar a few laps earlier. His team managed to keep him on the lead lap, but he restarted 32nd.

The other lead-lap cars came down pit road for fuel and tires under caution a few laps after Briscoe. Denny Hamlin maintained his position as the leader, with Kyle Larson second, William Byron third and Ryan Blaney fourth.

NASCAR Championship Race: Lap 100 update

Denny Hamlin surged to the front on the restart on Lap 80 and stretched his lead over Kyle Larson to 3 seconds through 40 laps in the 125-lap Stage 2.

William Byron runs third, with three of the four championship contenders in the top 3. Ryan Blaney is fourth, and Chase Briscoe, the final championship contender, has moved up to fifth.

NASCAR Championship race update: Stage 2 begins

Ryan Blaney led the race off pit road at the end of Stage 1, leapfrogging William Byron, who restarted second but lost the spot to Denny Hamlin. Kyle Larson runs fourth and Chase Briscoe gained four spots on pit road and runs sixth behind Caron Hocevar.

The caution flag came out after three laps when John Hunger Nemechek spun across the track after contact to his rear.

William Byron wins Stage 1 of NASCAR Championship race

Championship contender William Byron passed fellow competitor Denny Hamlin with eight laps remaining in the 60-lap opening segment to win Stage 1. Hamlin led the first 52 laps before also being passed by 2023 champion Ryan Blaney with two laps remaining.

Kyle Larson finished fifth and Chase Briscoe 10th.

Stage 1 Top 10 results

1. William Byron
2. Ryan Blaney
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Austin Cindric
5. Kyle Larson
6. Carson Hocevar
7. Alex Bowman
8. Joey Logano
9. Chris Buescher
10. Chase Briscoe

NASCAR Championship race: Lap 25 update

Denny Hamlin has led every lap so far in the 60-lap opening stage. William Byron contiues to run second, slighltly less than a second behind. Austin Cidric runs third, Kyle Larson fourth, Carson Hocevar fifth and Alex Bowman sixth. Chase Briscoe has jumped from the 12th starting position to 10th.

NASCAR Championship begins as green flag is waved

The green flag has waved in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway. Championship contenders Denny Hamlin and William Byron lead the field to open Stage 1. Kyle Larson starts third and Chase Briscoe 12th.

How to watch 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship race

• Date: Sunday, Nov. 2
• Track: Phoenix Raceway (Avondale, Arizona)
• Time: 3 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local)
• TV: NBC
• Streaming: Peacock and Fubo (free trial for new subscribers)

Stream NASCAR Championship race on Fubo

Who are the 2025 NASCAR Championship 4 drivers?

• Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
• William Byron, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports
• Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing
• Kyle Larson, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

Who is on the pole for NASCAR Championship Race?

Denny Hamlin won the pole for the NACAR Cup Series Championship Race during Saturday’s qualifying with two other title contenders directly behind him. William Byron starts on the front row alongside Hamlin, while Kyle Larson starts third on the second row alongside Austin Cindric. The final championship contender, Chase Briscoe, qualified 12th.

Sydney Sweeney meets drivers at NASCAR Championship Race

Actress Sydney Sweeney and WNBA star Sophie Cunningham were among the VIPs at the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race drivers meeting at Phoenix Raceway today.

Sweeney also came out on stage with the checkered flag during driver introductions, pumping up the crowd and motivating the drivers. Sweeney stars as women’s boxing trailblazer Christy Martin in the film ‘Christy,’ coming to theaters on Nov. 7.

Cunningham plays for the Indiana Fever, who reached the semifinals of the 2025 WNBA playoffs, and previously played for the Phoenix Mercury.

NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race starting lineup

1. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2. William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
3. Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
4. Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
5. Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
6. Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
7. Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
8. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
9. Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
10. Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
11. Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
12. Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
13. Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
14. Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
15. Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
16. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
17. Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
18. Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
19. Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
20. Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
21. Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
22. Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford 
23. Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
24. Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
25. Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
26. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
27. Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
28. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
29. Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
30. Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford 
31. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
32. Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
33. Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
34. Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
35. JJ Yeley, No. 44 NY Racing Team Chevrolet
36. Casey Mears, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford
37. Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
38. AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

How many laps is the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race?

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race is 312 laps around the one-mile track for a total of 312 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 60 laps; Stage 2: 125 laps; Stage 3: 137 laps.

What are the odds to win 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship?

Denny Hamlin is the favorite to win the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series title among the Championship 4 contenders based on by BetMGM as of 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 2:

• Denny Hamlin ….. +190
• Kyle Larson ….. +230
• William Byron ….. +230
• Chase Briscoe ….. +550

NASCAR Championship race odds

Here are the favorites to win Sunday’s race, according to BetMGM odds as of 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 2:

• Denny Hamlin (+310)
• Kyle Larson (+350)
• William Byron (+350)
• Ryan Blaney (+425)
• Christopher Bell (+1100)
• Chase Briscoe (+1200)
• Joey Logano (+1400)
• Chase Elliott (+2500)
• Austin Cindric (+2500)

NASCAR Championship 4 driver stats

How the NASCAR Cup Series championship contenders fared in the 2025 Cup Series season:

William Byron

• Car: No. 24 Chevrolet
• Team: Hendrick Motorsports
• Age: 27
• DOB: Nov. 29, 1997

∎ 2025 STATISTICS

• Wins: Three
• Top fives: 11
• Top 10s: 16
• Laps led: 1,278
• Poles: Three

Chase Briscoe

• Car: No. 19 Toyota
• Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
• Age: 30
• DOB: Dec. 15, 1994

∎ 2025 STATISTICS

• Wins: Three
• Top fives: 15
• Top 10s: 19
• Laps led: 881
• Poles: Seven

Denny Hamlin

• Car: No. 11 Toyota
• Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
• Age: 44
• DOB: Nov. 18, 1980

∎ 2025 STATISTICS

• Wins: Six
• Top fives: 14
• Top 10s: 17
• Laps led: 816
• Poles: Four

Kyle Larson

• Car: No. 5 Chevrolet
• Team: Hendrick Motorsports
• Age: 33
• DOB: July 31, 1992

∎ 2025 STATISTICS

• Wins: Three
• Top fives: 14
• Top 10s: 21
• Laps led: 1,106
• Poles: One

Who won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race last year?

Joey Logano won just one race during the regular season in 2024 but stormed to three victories in the playoffs – crucially, the Championship Race in Phoenix. He captured his third Cup Series title, becoming the 10th driver in history to do so. He took the lead during the final stage and held off Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney to take home the title. William Byron, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell rounded out the top five.

Who has won the most NASCAR Cup Series championships?

Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson have each won seven championships, most in NASCAR Cup Series history.

• 1T. Richard Petty ….. 7
• 1T. Dale Earnhardt ….. 7
• 1T. Jimmie Johnson ….. 7
• 4. Jeff Gordon ….. 4
• 5T. Lee Petty ….. 3
• 5T. David Pearson ….. 3
• 5T. Cale Yarborough ….. 3
• 5T. Darrell Waltrip ….. 3
• 5T. Tony Stewart ….. 3
• 5T. Joey Logano ….. 3

What time does the NASCAR championship race start?

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship race is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local) at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. The green flag is scheduled to drop at 3:34 p.m. ET (1:34 p.m. local).

What TV channel is the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race?

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race will be broadcast on NBC. Pre-race coverage will start at 2 p.m. ET (12 p.m. local). The race can be streamed on Peacock and Fubo.