Your 2025 Cup Series champion: Kyle Larson

Written by Sean McKean

Credit: James Gilbert / Getty Images for NASCAR

Despite Hamlin looking set to win, an overtime attempt allowed Kyle Larson to take his second Cup Series title in Phoenix.

Ryan Blaney won the race.

As it unfolded

Of the Championship 4, Denny Hamlin qualified first, William Byron second, Kyle Larson third and Chase Briscoe 12th. 

For the last time in 2025, Denny Hamlin led the way from pole. 

As the run progressed to stage’s end, William Byron caught the back of Hamlin with the help of lapped traffic. Byron made the move stick with only eight laps remaining in the stage.

Byron hung onto the lead to win Stage 1. Ryan Blaney and Hamlin followed suit.

Stage 1 Results:

1. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports) [Playoffs]

2. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)

3. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing) [Playoffs]

4. No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske)

5. No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) [Playoffs]

6. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)

7. No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)

8. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)

9. No. 17 - Chris Buescher (RFK Racing)

10. No. 19 - Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing) [Playoffs]

Of the Championship 4 contenders, Byron came out first followed by Byron and Larson.

Blaney led the way on Lap 70. Behind him, Hamlin moved into second. 

The caution came out only three laps later. This was for a spin by John Hunter Nemechek on the exit of Turn 2. He drove away undamaged.

Blaney led the way once more on Lap 80, but Denny Hamlin was able to power through on the outside to take the lead. Larson moved ahead of Byron.

Shane van Gisbergen brought out another caution on Lap 107, but under the caution, Chase Briscoe’s right-rear tyre went down. Luckily, Briscoe didn’t lose a lap, but Van Gisbergen did for his spin off Turn 4. 

Hamlin led the way over Larson on Lap 116.

AJ Allmendinger brought out the caution again on Lap 149. As has been the theme of this race, a flat right-front tyre sent him into the Turn 3 wall. He retired from the race.

On pit road, the top three – Hamlin, Blaney and Larson – remained unchanged.

Hamlin led the way on Lap 156. Behind Hamlin, Byron passed Larson for third.

Austin Dillon suffered a flat tyre with six to go on the stage. The caution did not come out.

Only three laps later though, the other Dillon brother, Ty, brought out the caution. He went for a spin in Turn 2 after a flat right-rear tyre.

The caution brought an end to the stage. Hamlin took top honours followed by Blaney and Byron.

Stage 2 Results:

1. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing) [Playoffs]

2. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)

3. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports) [Playoffs]

4. No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) [Playoffs]

5. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)

6. No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)

7. No. 19 - Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing) [Playoffs]

8. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)

9. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)

10. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

On pit road, a slow stop from Hamlin sent him outside the top ten. Blaney, Byron and Ross Chastain came out first.

Blaney led the way in the final stage of the season on Lap 194, but Byron managed to take the lead by lap’s end.

Massive championship implications hit on Lap 215, starting with a flat tyre from Kyle Larson, who had to pit under green. Then, Chase Briscoe again suffered a flat tyre two laps later and also had to pit under green. This put both drivers one lap down to leader Byron.

Luckily for the two contenders, Carson Hocevar brought out the caution on Lap 221. He suffered yet another flat tyre that sent him into the Turn 3 wall. He drove away.

Chase Elliott won the race off pit road followed by Blaney and Byron. Hamlin managed to move up to fourth.

Elliott led the way on Lap 227.

With 69 laps to go, Alex Bowman suffered a flat right-front tyre. Noah Gragson then followed four laps later. The caution did not come out.

At 60 laps to go, Byron turned it up and took the lead from Elliott. Hamlin moved into second five laps later.

Just before pit stops began, a crash by Austin Cindric in Turn 3 brought out the caution with 54 laps remaining. 

On pit road, Byron came off first followed by Elliott and Hamlin.

After a penalty for Elliott, Byron led the way with 46 laps remaining, but Hamlin took to the point for the lead one lap later.

As has been common, a flat tyre befell JJ Yeley with 35 laps to go to bring out another caution. 

On pit road, Briscoe and Larson each took two tyres and thus were the first two out of pit road. Hamlin followed in third.

Briscoe led the way with only 29 laps to go, but Hamlin made it three-wide on Larson and Briscoe to take the lead. William Byron moved into second during this melee. 

Just as Hamlin seemed to be driving away with the title, the caution came out with only four laps to go. It was for a title contender in William Byron, who blew a tyre going into Turn 3 and slammed the wall. This effectively ended his day.

With a gutsy two-tyre call yet again, Blaney came out first followed by Larson and Joey Logano. Brad Keselowski, Ryan Preece and Alex Bowman stayed out.

This strategic mess shot out Larson into fifth, Hamlin tenth and Briscoe 15th.

The four-tyre call proved to be for nought for Hamlin, as Larson finished third to take the 2025 Cup Series championship. Ryan Blaney won the race.

Provisional Results:

1. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske)

2. No. 6 - Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing)

3. No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) [CHAMPION]

4. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske)

5. No. 8 - Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing)

6. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing) [Playoffs]

7. No. 21 - Josh Berry (Wood Brothers Racing)

8. No. 71 - Michael McDowell (Spire Motorsports)

9. No. 60 - Ryan Preece (RFK Racing)

10. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports)

11. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing)

12. No. 17 - Chris Buescher (RFK Racing)

13. No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)

14. No. 7 - Justin Haley (Spire Motorsports)

15. No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports)

16. No. 43 - Erik Jones (Legacy Motor Club)

17. No. 47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Hyak Motorsports)

18. No. 19 - Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing) [Playoffs]

19. No. 99 - Daniel Suarez (Trackhouse Racing)

20. No. 3 - Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing)

21. No. 54 - Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)

22. No. 34 - Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports)

23. No. 35 - Riley Herbst (23XI Racing)

24. No. 88 - Shane van Gisbergen (Trackhouse Racing)

25. No. 41 - Cole Custer (Haas Factory Team)

26. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing)

27. No. 4 - Noah Gragson (Front Row Motorsports)

28. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)

29. No. 38 - Zane Smith (Front Row Motorsports)

30. No. 51 - Cody Ware (Rick Ware Racing)

31. No. 42 - John Hunter Nemechek (Legacy Motor Club)

32. No. 44 - JJ Yeley (NY Racing) +2 laps

33. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports) +2 laps [Playoffs]

34. No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske) +18 laps

35. No. 10 - Ty Dillon (Kaulig Racing) +23 laps

36. No. 66 - Casey Mears (Garage 66) +35 laps

37. No. 23 - Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing) [DNF]

38. No. 16 - AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing) [DNF]