AVONDALE, Ariz. – Denny Hamlin was three laps away from his championship moment. Instead, he left Phoenix Raceway with perhaps his worst heartbreak yet.
The 44-year-old veteran led a staggering 208 laps from pole position in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race, set the fastest lap and was out front when a late caution pushed the event to overtime. But Hamlin ultimately finished sixth, second in the championship fight as Kyle Larson surged late to score his second Cup Series title.
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Hamlin had been on the precipice of a championship before, most notably in 2010 when he fell runner-up to Jimmie Johnson, coupled with four Championship 4 appearances since 2016 before Sunday. But never had he dominated a title race in which he could win the title, leading a combined 52 laps in his four prior attempts.
In the final run of regulation, Hamlin led 28 consecutive laps, including Lap 312, the scheduled distance. But the caution flag waved at Lap 309 for fellow Championship 4 contender William Byron, who was running second when he suffered a tire issue entering Turn 3 and crashed into the retaining SAFER barrier.
Under caution, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Preece and Alex Bowman stayed out on old tires while six others opted to take right-side tires only. Hamlin was the first off pit road to take four tires, but that slotted him 11th in the running order.
Larson restarted on the outside lane in Row 3 while Hamlin chose the bottom of the race track in Row 5, hoping to more easily make ground in Turns 1 and 2. Larson instead prevailed to take the checkered flag third, highest of the title contenders and hoist his second Bill France Cup while Hamlin was mired in sixth.
The emotions were palpable as he wheeled the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to a stop on pit road, taking a full minute-and-a-half to climb from the vehicle as he reflected on what was his best opportunity yet to win a championship.
Eighteen minutes later, he sat inside the media center, still trying to process his latest gut-punch.
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“I really don’t have much for emotion right now,” Hamlin said. “Just numb about it because I’m just in shock.”
While Hamlin was numb, those closest to him felt the heartbreak firsthand. Fiancée Jordan Fish was the first to meet Hamlin after his exit, greeting him with a tearful embrace as Hamlin leaned upon his race car. Following her was crew chief Chris Gayle, who immediately placed his hand on Hamlin’s shoulder and offered words of encouragement. Later, Hamlin was joined by his young daughters, Taylor and Molly, both crying as they absorbed the weight of the moment.
In that moment, the man who probably needed the most consoling at Phoenix Raceway had to snap back into fatherhood to console his children.
“It’s just something (that) will be one of those life lessons years down the road,” Hamlin said.
Each championship-winning scenario is different, but this one was particularly unique because of how close he was in such a dominating fashion.
“We were 40 seconds from a championship. It’s just unfortunate,” Hamlin said. “The only difference before is the cautions came maybe a little sooner than that, but I don’t know. It’s just … gosh. You work so hard. It’s just this sport can drive you absolutely crazy because it’s just that sometimes speed, talent, all that stuff just does not matter.”
Hamlin, who earned his historic 60th career victory on Oct. 12 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to lock him into the Championship 4, has also expressed his 75-year-old father Dennis is in ailing health, telling the Associated Press this week: “I know for a fact this is my last chance for my dad to see it. I don’t want him going and never getting to see the moment.”
The results will show Hamlin fell short at Phoenix, but the strength Hamlin showed in his latest championship fight will reign supreme within his family. Simply, the message Hamlin had for his father is: “I did the best I could.”
“Everything I really prepared for happened today,” Hamlin said. “And I felt like we responded, losing track position at one point and just battling back. Did really well on restarts; hadn’t been good on restarts for the bulk of the year.
“The team brought a great championship car, and I felt like I drove it just right up until two laps to go. This is the part that stinks.”
On pit road, moments after being comforted by Fish and Gayle and in his own moment of defeat, Hamlin walked to his pit box to greet his pit-crew members and embrace them.
“They did a great job,” Hamlin said. “We had one hiccup, but it wasn’t their fault. We got fortunate with the left-rear tire that was flat under caution (at Lap 188). They executed a great day. Man, I really wish I could have got it for them.
“While the championship … It wouldn’t have changed anything I felt truly about myself. I just wanted it so bad for everyone else, all of my supporters, all my friends and family, and whatnot. They want it so bad. Just not going to happen.”
In his first year atop the pit box with Hamlin, Gayle led the No. 11 team to its first Championship 4 appearance since 2021 and to its most wins (six) since 2020. But his overriding emotion after the race was disappointment for his driver.
“Even though I wasn’t around for the previous four attempts, I was around for this one, and I know the effort that he put into this one,” Gayle said. “I know how much time we spent in sim. I know the time he was looking at stuff, preparing for that qualifying lap weeks ahead. I know that.
“And that’s what I hate, is I hate that it came down to some chaotic late-race restart where we were the dominant car and didn’t get the win.”
The pivotal decision came under that final caution in overtime, taking four tires while others either stayed out or took two. Gayle stands by his call despite the end result.
“For a second, I could think, ‘Oh, well, if I took two tires…’ – I don’t know if that would have worked,” Gayle said. “The 5 (Larson) … this was their only shot, and it really was going to dictate on just how many other cars stayed and who fit between you. I think four tires was the right call. We just didn’t get clear on the bottom – and I thought for a split second we were. And the 5 got the outside run, and then it was just boxed in with chaos a little bit.”
While Larson went on to win the championship, Hamlin was joined in the media center by both Byron and Chase Briscoe, the other Championship 4 contenders who weren’t fortunate enough to bring home the title.
Hamlin was first to the desk, but Byron was next, immediately placing his hand upon Hamlin’s shoulder and apologizing: “Sorry, man.”
Hamlin responded: “It happens.” Byron reiterated his thoughts, though: “You deserved it.”
Despite his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Larson becoming a two-time Cup champion in light of Byron’s misfortune, Byron couldn’t help but feel bad for Hamlin.
“It just doesn’t seem right, you know?” Byron said. “He had beat us, right? We’re running second, and four laps to go, you go into the wall and cause a caution. It sucks, right? I don’t want to be that guy, even if I’m in the Championship 4. That doesn’t really matter. I just don’t want to change the outcome, so it sucks.”
Even Larson, in his moment of glory, couldn’t help but think of the empathy he has for Hamlin, who has long been a friend of Larson’s.
“It’s great to celebrate and all that, but it does feel a little awkward because he has put so much time and energy and has been so close to winning so many championships, and this is as close as he’s ever been,” Larson said. “And sure, he’s a competitor, but he is a friend, you know? I was gonna be happy for him to win. That’s kind of what I was thinking about. Like, man, I can’t wait to go tell him good job. And then the caution came out and the script flipped right there.
“I haven’t seen him. I haven’t seen an interview. I haven’t seen the moments that I’m sure he had with his family and shared with his daughters. But I mean, sure, I’m happy, but there’s definitely a piece of me that is sad for him as well.”
Hamlin signed a two-year contract extension with Joe Gibbs Racing in July that keeps him in the No. 11 car through the 2027 season. At age 44, he has said that this will be his final driving contract.
Whether or not he gets another chance to contend for a championship in that time, Gayle believes the way Hamlin conducted himself and performed Sunday is worthy of the title.
“He prepared like a champion,” Gayle said. “He’s not going to walk away here with a trophy, but he prepared like one. He did everything he could do all weekend, the three weeks leading up – really all year. Even though he doesn’t have the trophy, I feel like he’s a champion.”
