Kyle Larson takes the NASCAR Cup Sequence Title – Ryan Blaney wins a shocker at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday night time.
AVONDALE, Ariz. — When William Byron hit the third flip wall with bone-jarring influence on lap 310 of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Sequence Championship Race, the intestine punch it delivered to Denny Hamlin was exponentially extra painful.
Kyle Larson Takes the Title
The ensuing warning and strategic name by crew chief Cliff Daniels allowed Kyle Larson to grab the Cup Sequence championship from Hamlin with out main a lap at Phoenix Raceway.
Larson completed third behind race winner Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski to assert his second title in NASCAR’s prime division and the fifteenth for staff proprietor Rick Hendrick as the best finisher among the many Championship 4 drivers—Hamlin, Byron, and Chase Briscoe.
It was the fifteenth Cup championship for staff proprietor Rick Hendrick, and it got here with a serious plot twist within the last stage.
Ryan Blaney Wins a Shocker at Phoenix
With the scheduled 312 laps winding down, Hamlin led Byron by practically three seconds and appeared headed for the primary Cup title in his 20 full-time seasons behind the wheel of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
In dominating style, Hamlin led seven instances for 207 laps. Although he battled a balky clutch and rallied from a flat left-rear tire after successful the second stage, he did not win the championship for the fifth time below the elimination Playoff format.
As an alternative, it was Larson who went to Victory Lane to obtain the Invoice France Cup, nearly in disbelief.
“Truthfully, I can’t consider it,” Larson mentioned. “Like, we didn’t lead a lap as we speak. By some means received the championship. I imply, actually, I’m simply speechless. I can’t consider it. We had a median automotive at finest.”
Kyle Larson Takes the Title
After Byron’s wreck, which despatched the race to time beyond regulation, Daniels opted for 2 right-side tires for the second straight pit cease. Hamlin pitted from the lead and took contemporary rubber on all 4 corners.
However with Keselowski, Ryan Preece, and Alex Bowman staying out on older tires, and Blaney, Larson, Joey Logano, Josh Berry, Kyle Busch, and Chase Elliott taking proper sides solely, Hamlin lined up tenth for the time beyond regulation restart—5 spots behind Larson—and selected the underside row for the ultimate run.
From the surface lane, Larson charged by way of the primary two corners and maintained a spot between his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and Hamlin’s Camry. On the ultimate lap, Hamlin misplaced momentum on the underside within the first and second turns and couldn’t recuperate.
He completed sixth, as Blaney edged Keselowski by 0.097 seconds for the race win.
Larson received the arrogance he wanted on the primary two-tire name below warning on lap 281. He restarted second beside Briscoe and was in a position to preserve fifth place earlier than Byron hit the wall.
“We had the correct entrance go down (earlier), misplaced a lap,” Larson mentioned. “Acquired saved by the warning. Did the wave-around. Was actually dangerous that run. We took two tires. I used to be like, “Oh, God, right here we go. We’re going to go to the again now.’
“It had much more grip than I anticipated. We received fortunate with the ultimate warning. I used to be actually hoping we had been going to take two once more. I felt like I discovered rather a lot on that restart, bombing (turns) 1 and a pair of actually onerous. Thought I may do the identical factor if we received one other one.
“Simply unbelievable. What a yr by this Hendrick Motorsports (staff). Cliff Daniels, everyone, his management, his full management simply confirmed that entire race. Maintaining us all motivated. At all times having a plan. All of that. That’s simply the story of our season.
“Once more, simply unbelievable. I can not consider it. That is insane.”
Championship Eludes Denny Hamlin
Likely, Hamlin would agree. He and his staff introduced the quickest automotive to Phoenix and executed a near-flawless race. The clutch difficulty and flat left-rear tire had been challenges the No.11 staff overcame with out panicking.
However the championship eluded Hamlin as soon as once more.
“Did one of the best I may,” Hamlin mentioned. “All the things I actually ready for occurred as we speak. I felt like we responded. Even shedding monitor place at one level, simply battling again. Did rather well on restarts. Hadn’t been good on restarts for the majority of the yr.
“Yeah, the staff introduced an amazing championship automotive. I felt like I drove it excellent up till two laps to go. Yeah, that is the half that stinks…
“Golly, on this second I by no means need to race a automotive ever once more,” Hamlin mentioned with a wry smile. “I imply, my enjoyable meter is pegged.”
Blaney’s win was nearly an afterthought, but it surely additionally was tantalizingly near a second championship for the motive force of the No. 12 Crew Penske Ford. Blaney completed second to Byron in a must-win state of affairs final Sunday at Martinsville Speedway—one spot away from qualifying for the Championship 4.
“It’s simply cool to finish it on a superb notice,” Blaney mentioned. “It’s simply cool, and clearly we had a quick automotive all day. These different guys (Hamlin and Byron) had been simply type of quicker getting going, and I may by no means retain the lead.
“These guys had been simply actually good, and it took my automotive some time to return in, but it surely was a very good name for 2 (tires) there and maintaining monitor place. I received a good restart, and I used to be in a position to type of roll the underside in (turns) 3 and 4 and eke the 6 (Keselowski) out on the line.”
Byron, who completed thirty third after main 52 laps and successful the primary stage, expressed sympathy for Hamlin, despite the fact that the lap 310 accident gave his teammate the possibility to win the title.
“I’m simply tremendous bummed that it was a warning, clearly,” Byron mentioned. “I hate that. Hate it for Denny. I hate it for the 11 staff.
“I’m glad for Kyle, for Mr. Hendrick, they deserve it. Yeah, it stinks, proper? I don’t know, three laps to go, I’m considering, ‘Let me get to the top.’
“I felt one thing humorous off of two, thought it is likely to be a flat. I assumed on the time if it’s left rear, you’ll be able to type of get again. It simply went straight into (flip) 3. Laid down on the correct rear, went straight (into the wall). I hate that.”
Briscoe rallied from flat tires twice on Sunday, restarted fifteenth in time beyond regulation, and completed 18th.
In a race that featured 9 cautions for 65 laps, Logano completed fourth, adopted by Busch and Hamlin. Berry, Michael McDowell, Preece, Elliott, and Christopher Bell accomplished the highest ten.
Blaney led 20 laps in securing his fourth win of the season and the seventeenth of his profession. The win was his first at Phoenix after three straight runner-up finishes within the Championship Race. In 2023, nevertheless, second place was adequate to earn Blaney his solely sequence title up to now.
