The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season came to a spectacular close at Phoenix Raceway, where Kyle Larson claimed his second championship in one of the most dramatic finales in recent memory, snatching the title from long-time race leader Denny Hamlin in the final laps.
Hamlin had appeared destined for a long-awaited championship breakthrough, leading an astonishing 208 of the 319 laps in a commanding performance. But fate once again turned cruelly against the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran, as a late caution completely flipped the race on its head.
For most of the afternoon, Hamlin looked unbeatable. The #11 Toyota Camry controlled both the pace and strategy, fending off challenges from William Byron and Ryan Blaney as the laps wound down. But with just three laps remaining, Byron, then running second, suffered a right-front tyre failure and slammed into the wall, bringing out the race’s most decisive caution.
That moment set up an overtime restart, and the differing tyre calls proved pivotal. Hamlin pitted for four fresh tyres, while Larson rolled the dice with only two.
The decision elevated the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet from 10th to fifth for the restart, while Hamlin was shuffled further back.
When the green flag flew for the final time, track position proved everything. Blaney surged to the front and went on to take the race win for Team Penske ahead of Brad Keselowski’s RFK Mustang, but it was Larson’s charge around the outside into third that sealed the deal.
Hamlin, despite fresher tyres, could climb no higher than sixth, ending his championship dream once more.
Larson’s remarkable title win came despite the fact that he hadn’t led a single lap all day. “I can’t believe it,” he admitted afterwards.
“We had an average car at best, got a flat, went a lap down… and somehow won the championship. It’s just insane.”
The championship decider was full of tension from the opening laps. Hamlin dominated Stage 1, leading from pole and fending off early pressure from Byron and Blaney. But as the stage wound down, Byron made a daring move around the outside to take the first stage win.
The intensity only ramped up from there. In Stage 2, Hamlin reasserted control before a series of tyre failures, including one for Shane van Gisbergen, triggered multiple cautions.
Pit stop dramas then swung momentum away from the front-runners; both Hamlin and Larson suffered slow stops that dropped them through the order, while Blaney briefly held the advantage.
As the race entered its final 100 laps, the battle among the Championship 4 intensified. Byron led, Hamlin stalked him, and Larson slowly clawed back into contention after recovering from a puncture of his own on Lap 215.
The sequence of tyre failures continued, with several contenders—including Alex Bowman and Austin Cindric—finding the wall.
Hamlin regained the lead inside 50 laps to go, and for a while it looked to be his race to lose. He stretched out a commanding margin and appeared uncatchable until Byron’s blowout brought chaos, an overtime restart, and a cruel twist of fate.
“I thought we had it,” Hamlin reflected, dejected but composed.
“We made the right calls, prepared the best we could. I just prayed there wouldn’t be another caution. It just wasn’t meant to be.”
The result leaves Hamlin as runner-up in the championship once again, still chasing that elusive title despite years of near misses.
While the championship drama unfolded up front, Kiwi star Shane van Gisbergen closed out his stunning debut season by officially clinching NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year honours.
Driving the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, van Gisbergen’s first full season in American stock cars has been nothing short of historic.
Across 2025, he recorded five race victories, three pole positions, and seven top-10 finishes, becoming the first rookie in modern NASCAR history to win five times in a single season.
His road and street course prowess was unmatched, with triumphs in Mexico City, Chicago, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, and the Charlotte Roval—three of those coming from pole position.
He also led 312 laps across nine different races and made the Playoffs on debut, eventually finishing a remarkable 12th overall in the final standings.
At Phoenix, however, the Kiwis’ race was a more subdued affair. Starting 31st, van Gisbergen struggled with grip from the outset and found himself lapped early.
His afternoon worsened when he spun on Lap 107 while fighting mid-pack, though he managed to avoid contact and continue.
“I just had no grip, really tight and then loose—it just went around,” he told his crew over the radio.
Despite the setback, he regrouped and climbed through the field late to salvage 24th place at the flag.
Reflecting on his year, van Gisbergen remained humble but proud of his achievements.
“It’s pretty cool,” he said of winning Rookie of the Year. “There weren’t many rookies, but I’ve got to appreciate how far we came this season. It’s been an incredible experience.”
For Larson, the Phoenix finale capped a season of resilience, strategy, and teamwork that delivered Hendrick Motorsports its latest championship trophy.
For Van Gisbergen, it marked the conclusion of a groundbreaking rookie campaign that introduced a new Kiwi force to American motorsport.
Both drivers, in very different ways, made 2025 a year to remember—Larson for a title won against all odds, and van Gisbergen for a debut season that shattered expectations.
Attention now turns to the start of the 2026 season, which will kick off with the non-points Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 1, where van Gisbergen will once again line up alongside NASCAR’s best, this time no longer the newcomer, but one of the sport’s rising stars.
Header Image: Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
