AVONDALE, Ariz. — Denny Hamlin dominated Sunday's Cup Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway, but yet again, something out of his control ripped the sport's biggest prize out of his grasp.
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Hamlin went from possibly the biggest win of his career to climbing out of his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with tears in his eyes. He had to stand on pit road while another driver celebrated his second championship in the last five seasons.
"Golly, in this moment I never want to race a car ever again," Hamlin said after finishing second behind Kyle Larson in the championship battle. "I mean, my fun meter is pegged."
Nothing but absolute pain for Denny Hamlin. pic.twitter.com/fcc25oGE2v
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) November 2, 2025
Hamlin explained that he had no emotions after another heartbreaking loss. He was just numb and in shock.
"Did the best I could," he said. "Everything I really prepared for happened today. I felt like we responded. Even losing track position at one point, just battling back. Did really well on restarts. Hadn't been good on restarts for the bulk of the year.
"Yeah, the team brought a great championship car. I felt like I drove it just right up until two laps to go. Yeah, this is the part that stinks."
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver entered the final weekend of the season differently than his past times competing for the championship. He said he was looser than before, which he showed during multiple media appearances.
Yet, he also appeared to have an intensity about him. He showed this during qualifying as he won the pole. He showed it as he delivered a race-winning performance while battling clutch issues and recovering from a slow pit stop.
It appeared that 2025 would finally be Hamlin's time to win the championship after six prior near-misses. He led the series with six wins and he entered the finale with more than 800 laps led despite missing one race.
He then led a race-high 208 laps and won the championship race's second stage. He had the lead with two laps remaining, which he took in a four-wide restart battle with Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Chase Briscoe.
Yet, the night turned sour for Hamlin with two laps to go. Byron blew a tire and slammed into the wall. This sent the race to overtime and forced the drivers to head down pit road for whatever tires they had remaining.
Larson used a two-tire stop, as did several other drivers. Brad Keselowski and Ryan Preece stayed out, which gave them the advantage for the overtime restart. Larson restarted fifth behind the RFK Racing duo, as well as Alex Bowman, and Ryan Blaney. Hamlin dropped to 10th after a slow, four-tire pit stop.
Once the green flag flew, Hamlin dove to the bottom of the track and tried to chase down Larson. He had two laps to pass the Hendrick Motorsports driver and win the championship. He ran out of time.
Hamlin had a chance to throw his pit crew under the proverbial bus. He could have easily blamed them for him missing out on the championship in what could be his last opportunity to win it. After all, he knows he only has one or two more years left in his career.
The blame game is not the route he took. The veteran driver walked over to the No. 11 crew after the race. He embraced them.
— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) November 3, 2025
"Yeah, 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. They executed a great day. Man, I really wish I could have got it for them."
This turn of events also upset Byron, the main driver who could contend with Hamlin throughout the race. As the Hendrick Motorsports driver joined Hamlin in the media center after the race, he reached over and squeezed his shoulder. He apologized for bringing out the caution that changed the outcome of the race.
"It just doesn't seem right," Byron said when asked about the apology. "Yeah, I mean, I think just kind of seeing him, he had beat us, and we're running second, 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. Doesn't really matter. Don't want to change the outcome. So it sucks."
This flat tire ultimately changed Hamlin's season. He didn't appear to hold any ill will toward his fellow driver. Yes, winning the title would have bolstered an already rock solid Hall of Fame resume. It would have ended the conversation about "the greatest drivers to never win a championship."
Don't misunderstand — this loss certainly hurts Hamlin. It's a pain with which he has become so familiar over a career lasting 721 starts. But it doesn't change how he views his overall career.
"While the championship... You know, it wouldn't have changed anything I felt truly about myself," he said. "I wanted it so bad for everyone else, all of my supporters, all my friends and family and whatnot, that they want it so bad. Just not going to happen."
