Kyle Larson Explains How the 2025 Cup Championship is a Blessing in Disguise for Denny Hamlin

Two times Cup champion Kyle Larson has revealed the only positive for Denny Hamlin over his depressing 2025 Cup championship loss.

Kyle Larson Explains How the 2025 Cup Championship is a Blessing in Disguise for Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson (Via IMAGO)

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The 2025 NASCAR Cup season finale witnessed one of the biggest heartbreaks in the sports history, as the emotional favorite for the championship Denny Hamlin loss to Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson. Young money won his second Cup title by taking advantage of pitstop mistake from the No:11 team after William Byron’s trier puncture send the race to overtime.

Till the caution, Denny Hamlin was the most dominant racer of the field. He led over 200 laps and was just 40 seconds away from winning the race, as well as his maiden championship. But restarting at P10 in the final restart after he changed all four tiers instead of two like the majority of the field turned out to be costly.

Kyle Larson, Hamlin’s close friend, was disappointed for the veteran though it was he who won the Cup. He explained that the real reason behind a majority of the racing community depressed for someone who is seen as a villain of the sport is the emotional side of him the No:11 racer showed after winning his 60th career race at Las Vegas.

You kind of saw a shift after he won his 60th race, and he showed his emotion… I would say he was like the sentimental favorite, going into this weekend, and then for it to play out like it did was depressing for everybody.

Kyle Larson said via Rubbin Is Racing podcast.

The veteran Chevy driver also sees a positive with the change in fans perspective of Denny Hamlin. He believes there is possibility of the JGR racer becoming a fan favorite like Kyle Busch did, as the heartbreak has made many of his haters resonate with the veteran and feel good. He predicts that the NASCAR fans will be more welcoming than ever when Hamlin returns to racing in 2026.

I’m excited to kind of see how it will shift now going forward, where, like, Kyle Bush gets way more cheers than he’s ever gotten. And I think it’s going to be something similar to that… I think after the heartbreak of this weekend for him, he’s probably won over a lot of fans because of it, too, which I think will make him feel really good, much more welcomed than he’s been for a while.

Kyle Larson added.

Kyle Larson set to make racing return just two weeks after Cup championship triumph

Though the 2025 Cup championship battle was physically taxing, Kyle Larson has no plans to take a break. He is already gearing up for his next race. The veteran is set to drive in the Hangtown 100 next week, continuing his selected outings in the dirt racing scene.

Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson (Via IMAGO)

Kyle Larson is racing at Placerville as it is a venue that holds a special place in his heart. He grew up around the track, learning and perfecting his trade there. He is not only just competing for win, but is also giving back to the community by promoting the regional event.

It’s really special to me to be part of an event that means so much to me. Placerville Speedway is a place where my family and I grew up going to, not just as fans, but to race. Teaming up with Scott and Kami to continue growing this event is incredibly important to me, and I’m excited to not only help promote, but also to compete.

Kyle Larson said.

The shows the dedication the two times Cup champion has for dirt racing, something he plans to do for a long-time after retiring from NASCAR. It would be interesting to see how everything is going to playout in the veterans first outing on a track as multi time Cup champion.

Also Read: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Blasts Criticism of Goodyear over Phoenix Cup Finale Drama