Denny Hamlin reveals feelings on Kyle Larson winning 2025 NASCAR title, aspect he hates

Denny Hamlin has spent much of his time since Sunday thinking about the championship that got away. But not long after the conclusion to the NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway, in which Kyle Larson outdueled Hamlin for the 2025 title, Hamlin had to collect himself.

Hamlin attended Larson’s championship celebration party. Regardless of the heartbreak he was experiencing, it was important for him to show his support to a good friend. Hamlin admitted he hates the attention has shifted away from Larson and his championship win, saying no one should “ever question his deservingness of being a champion.”

“Just to pay my respects,” Hamlin said, via Jeff Gluck of The Athletic. “I would hope that he would have done that for me. I think he would have. He’s been a great friend of mine. You know, I hate for him that, kind of, the attention has shifted a little bit away from him and his championship. Because he’s definitely, there’s a difference in deserving and should have been.

“There’s not one person who should ever question his deservingness of being a champion. That’s what I don’t like to see. But he’s a great friend of mine. If it wasn’t me, I was definitely happy for him. But I was just trying to do the right thing as a friend, regardless of my feelings and emotions, that evening. It was important for me to go and show him support.”

Denny Hamlin has to deal with Phoenix heartbreak

Hamlin was the dominant car at Phoenix, and that’s why this stings so much for him. Chasing his first championship, Hamlin led a championship race record 208 laps and was less than three miles from taking the checkered flag.

But then, William Byron blew a tire and hit the wall, forcing NASCAR to throw one final caution. Hamlin and the field came down pit road, the No. 11 team opting to give him four fresh Goodyear tires. Kyle Larson and five others went with two tires while others stayed out, creating a sizeable gap between the Championship 4 competitors. Hamlin didn’t have enough time to catch Larson, who won his second championship.

Hamlin said he didn’t stay long at Larson’s party. He admitted that sitting through Tuesday night’s awards banquet will be even more painful for him.

“It won’t be as agonizing as having to sit through two hours tonight,” Hamlin said. “You know, you can say that we’re the only sport that [blank] lots of things but having to make the losers sit there and celebrate the winners is just one of those extra things that we have to do in our sport that’s painful.”