Kyle Larson says he drove 'average car at best' to win NASCAR Cup Series crown
Kyle Larson won his second NASCAR Cup Series Championship on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, but the Hendrick Motorsports driver was left in disbelief
Kyle Larson described his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet as an "average car at best" despite capturing the NASCAR Cup Series championship.
At Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, Larson secured his second Cup Series title in stunning fashion. Despite failing to lead a single lap throughout the race, Larson grabbed victory in overtime, extending Denny Hamlin's agonizing wait for the championship that continues to elude him.
Hamlin held a comfortable advantage until the caution flag waved with just three laps to go after William Byron encountered tire trouble. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver then lost crucial positions during the pit stop as his team worked on his vehicle.
The call to replace all four tires proved costly for Hamlin, enabling Larson to surge past and claim his second Cup Series crown, four years after his 2021 triumph. For Hamlin, the championship drought continues.
Larson put together a strong campaign, capturing three victories during the regular season before successfully navigating the playoff rounds. Although much of the Phoenix crowd rallied behind Hamlin, Larson seized his moment in overtime to claim a remarkable championship.
Even Larson appeared stunned by the outcome. In his post-race comments, the Hendrick Motorsports driver said: "Honestly, really I can't believe it. We didn't lead a lap today and somehow won the championship."
Reflecting on his triumph, Larson attempted to put the achievement into perspective considering his equipment.
He added: "Really, I'm just speechless, I can't believe it. We had an average car at best.
"We had the right front go down, lost a lap, got saved by the caution, got the wave-around. It was really bad that run. We took two tires and I was like, 'oh God, here we go, we're going to go to the back now' and it had a lot more grip than anticipated.
"So we got lucky with that final caution there. I was really hoping that we were going to take two again, cause I felt like I learned a lot on that restart, bombing [turns] 1 and 2 really hard.
"Thought I could do the same thing if we got another one. Just unbelievable. What a year by this Hendrick Motorsports team."
Larson, who opted for two tires while Hamlin chose four, added: "Again, just unbelievable. I cannot believe it. This is insane."
Larson has claimed the 2025 Cup Series Championship, joining an elite group as the 18th driver to secure multiple titles.
He becomes the third multi-time Champion at Hendrick Motorsports, alongside legends Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.