Kyle Larson Clinches Third NASCAR Cup Series Title At Homestead

Homestead-Miami Speedway (Homestead, Fla.) — Kyle Larson, considered one of the most talented race-car drivers in the world, has entered a club that now has 11 members. Larson clinched his third Cup title Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he eliminated the last two Chase drivers (Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin) after already eliminating 13 others in the first nine races by earning enough points so that they couldn’t catch him at the season finale. Larson won titles in 2021 and 2025 and now joins the three-time champion club as its 11th member. He is also the first back-to-back champion since Jimmie Johnson won five consecutive titles from 2006-2010. At age 34, he is the third-youngest driver to win three titles behind former Hendrick drivers Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. All three titles have come since Larson joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 and with Cliff Daniels as his crew chief. “When you look at a lot of different championship organizations and teams throughout many different sports, I think that’s a common theme that you see. It’s led by Cliff and his leadership,” Larson said during a news conference last month. “I think we’re just really good at refocusing on what’s ahead and not getting too far ahead or behind of what we need to accomplish.” They have now accomplished the goal that was all but certain Sunday, compared to last year, when a late two-tire pit call earned him the title when it appeared Hamlin would win it. “They all are equally memorable in different ways,” Larson said at a news conference Friday anticipating the third title. “2021 was just a dominating season and back in the Cup Series, which made that one memorable, first championship, memorable. “The second one, just being in the fashion that it was … we still struggled at Phoenix, but just the surprise of that championship and the elation at the end of that is definitely a reason. Main reason why I’ll remember that one forever. This one I’ll remember forever because of just the season that it was and the struggle that it was and then just building as a team to be ready for The Chase, and then to go execute like we have. “I think that’s what I will remember this one for.” The championship came, thanks to a late surge in the season, as Larson entered The Chase as the seventh seed following a winless regular season. He snapped a 51-race winless streak in the second-race (St. Louis) of the 10-race Chase. He also won Chase races at Kansas and Talladega, with his only bad race in The Chase coming at Phoenix, where he earned just three points as he struggled throughout the race before crashing out. He followed that Phoenix race with the wild victory two weeks ago at Talladega. A ninth-place finish a week ago at Martinsville set up a relatively easy path at Homestead; Larson needed only to earn eight stage points (out of a possible 20) or finish 28th or better without stage points. Hamlin and Bell faced must-win situations with significant stage-point totals, while also needing a Larson collapse. Larson’s incredible Chase didn’t surprise many as one of the sport’s greatest talents combined with one of the best organizations to rise to the occasion. “I’ve said all along, even during the winless drought that we were on. Our team is there,” Larson said during a news conference at Martinsville. “Our team is really, really good, and when things come together, we’re going to be ready, and I think we’ve proven that. “We didn’t know exactly when that time was going to be, but we were going to be ready whenever it came. Thankfully, it came when The Chase started.” The Chase system in 2027 was almost a reboot of the original NASCAR postseason format starting in 2004 with a reset of points prior to the final 10 races and then a 10-race mini-season Chase to crown a champion. NASCAR went back to a slightly altered version of that format after disposing the format from 2014-2025 that featured elimination rounds and a one-race, “winner” take all championship format. It was that format where Larson won last year, not leading a lap in the season finale but using a late two-tire stop to finish ahead of all three championship contenders, including Hamlin, who had dominated that race. Larson is now the 11th driver to win at least three titles, joining seven-time champions Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty and Johnson; four-time champion Gordon and three-time champions Tony Stewart, Joey Logano, Darrell Waltrip, Lee Petty, Cale Yarborough and David Pearson. “With repeat champions, it was obviously really tough with the previous format, so I think you’ll see more of it now as we get back to The Chase,” Larson said a week ago Martinsville. “It’s just easier to put together 10 good races than one. “But I think if we happen to go back-to-back with it being two different formats, I think that also just shows the resilience of this team.”