AVONDALE, Ariz. — Denny Hamlin didn’t show much emotion as he talked about how another title slipped away.
The way he lost the 2025 title resulted in more shock and disbelief rather than sadness. And that’s saying something, considering he had seemingly lost championships in every way possible.
“I really don’t have much for emotion right now,” Hamlin said. “I’m just numb about it because I’m just in shock. That’s about it.”
But by losing a comfortable lead with less than three laps remaining when the caution came out for a William Byron flat tire and ensuing crash Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, Hamlin seemed in disbelief.
Denny Hamlin and Jordan Fish embrace on the grid after the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway.
Yes, he had a shot after the caution came out.
But he took four tires on the pit stop and came to the restart in 10th, five spots behind one of the other championship finalists, Kyle Larson.
Larson finished second and Hamlin placed sixth. But for Hamlin, anything that wasn’t the best among the four finalists resulted in bitter disappointment. The 44-year-old Hamlin remains the most accomplished driver with 60 Cup wins who has never won a Cup title.
Even the winner couldn’t totally celebrate like he had dominated the race.
“When you don’t win the race, you don’t lead a lap, you win the championship, you steal it from a guy who has tried for so long and had it in his fingertips. It’s a really weird feeling,” Larson said after winning his second Cup title.
For the fifth time in his career, Hamlin came up short in the championship race where the driver who finishes best among the four championship-eligible finalists wins the title.
“We’re 40 seconds from a championship,” Hamlin said. “It’s just unfortunate. The only difference before is the cautions came maybe a little sooner than that.
“Gosh, you work so hard. This sport can drive you absolutely crazy because sometimes speed, talent, all that stuff, just does not matter.”
Denny Hamlin’s pit stops at Phoenix could end up being a storyline of the day.
His father, Dennis, was not in attendance, and Hamlin knew that Sunday was most likely the last chance for his dad to see him win.
“Did the best I could,” Hamlin said. “Everything I really prepared for happened today. I felt like we responded. … I did really well on restarts. We hadn’t been good on restarts for the bulk of the year.
“The team brought a great championship car. I felt like I drove it just right up until two laps to go. This is the part that stinks.”
Hamlin appeared emotional during a pre-race interview, but he said he felt composed during the race. He controlled most of the race, except for a time when he had a flat tire under caution and the ensuing lengthy pit stop dropped him to 11th.
Despite leading 208 of the overall 319 laps, Hamlin was unable to rally in the overtime with the four fresh tires. He came up short behind his good friend Larson, who was able to use the momentum of the outside lane to remain a few spots ahead of Hamlin. Hamlin, instead, dove to the inside on the restart but couldn’t get clear of several cars.
“Kyle Larson has the trophy, but we dominated,” Hamlin said. “We did our job. We did the best we could.
“They’re a championship team and a championship driver. They’re going to win a hell of a lot more than just these two. When everyone had to bring their best, I think it was evident who was the best today.”
Larson would agree with that and as a good friend of Hamlin’s, knows how much it stings.
“There’s definitely a piece of me that is sad for him,” Larson said. “I’m sure all of us in here, even the Denny haters, I’m sure there’s a spot where they’re sad, too.
“That’s competition. That’s the format. It’s just weird, you know? But yeah, I still hope someday he can get to feel what it’s like.”
Hamlin wasn’t the only one in shock.
It was disappointment for Denny at Phoenix after missing out on another NASCAR title.
His team owner, Joe Gibbs, was at a similar loss for words. All of Hamlin’s Cup victories have come for Gibbs, and Hamlin has challenged for Cup titles since as early as 2010.
“It’s really difficult,” Gibbs said. “It’s a heartbreak for everybody here. I don’t think there’s much else to say. I think we did [our best]. Some of the things you can’t control.”
Crew chief Chris Gayle wouldn’t second-guess the decision to take four tires.
“For a second I could think, ‘Oh, well, if I took two tires,’” Gayle said. “I don’t know if that would have worked. [Larson] was doing as this was their only shot, and it really was going to dictate on just how many other cars stayed and who fit between you.
“Four tires was the right call. It just didn’t get clear on the bottom. And I thought for a split second we were, then [Larson] got the outside run, and then it’s just boxed in with chaos.”
Hamlin didn’t feel he could have done much more than try to make the run on the inside. But that didn’t pan out.
“Nothing I can do different,” Hamlin said. “Prepared as good as I could coming into the weekend. My team gave me a fantastic car. It just didn’t work out. I was just praying that no caution. Had one there.
“What can you do? Just not meant to be.”
After the race, Hamlin had to console his bawling daughters, trying to tell them that sometimes things don’t go your way.
“One of those life lessons years down the road,” Hamlin said.
Hamlin, who has raced full-time in Cup since 2006, has two years left of full-time racing as he signed a contract extension for two more seasons.
“I’ve got a couple more shots at it,” Hamlin said. “Man, if you can’t win that one, I don’t know which one you can win.”
Hamlin will be willing to wait until the shock wears off.
“In this moment, I never want to race a car ever again,” Hamlin said. “My fun meter is pegged.”
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
Read the full article here
