Kyle Larson sealed his third NASCAR Cup Series championship and second in a row with a fourth-place finish in the first stage of Sunday’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. By earning seven points in that stage and securing another point for finishing the race, Larson put the title out of reach for rivals Christopher Bell, who finished third in the first stage, and Denny Hamlin, who came fifth.
“We got it,” crew chief Cliff Daniels radioed to Larson during the race. “It’s over.”
“OK,” Larson replied. “That’s cool. Good job, guys.”
Team owner Rick Hendrick celebrated alongside Daniels and other crew members atop the pit box for the No. 5 Chevrolet as the title was clinched.
Larson, from Elk Grove, California, joined an elite group of drivers with three championships in NASCAR’s premier series, including Tony Stewart, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Joey Logano, Lee Petty, and Darrell Waltrip. Except for Logano, who is still active like Larson, all are in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
This marks the third time Larson has earned the Cup title, previously winning in 2021 and 2025. He became the third Hendrick Motorsports driver to claim at least three championships, joining Jeff Gordon, with four titles, and Jimmie Johnson, who won seven. At 34 years old, Larson is the third-youngest driver to reach three championships, trailing only Gordon and Johnson.
Hendrick Motorsports holds a record 16 Cup championships spread among five drivers: Johnson (2006–10, 2013, 2016), Gordon (1995, 1997–98, 2001), Larson (2021, 2025–26), Chase Elliott (2020), and Terry Labonte (1996). Since NASCAR adopted the playoff format 23 seasons ago, Hendrick has won 11 titles.
Last year, Larson secured the championship without winning a race during the playoffs, clinching the title with a third-place finish at Phoenix Raceway after advancing through the final 10 races with an average finish of 13.25.
His 2026 campaign presented a stronger statistical performance. Among the 16 title contenders during the Chase, Larson led in average finish, laps led, and wins, doubling his top-10 finishes in the final 10 races compared to last season.
Larson’s consistency proved decisive in denying Bell and Hamlin any chance to catch him. The driver’s ability to maintain a strong presence near the front throughout the playoffs contrasted with the more volatile results of his competitors.
The celebration in the Hendrick Motorsports pit highlighted the team’s ongoing dominance in NASCAR’s top division. Larson’s achievement adds to the legacy of the team’s previous champions, reinforcing their status as a powerhouse in the sport.
With the 2026 championship secured at Homestead-Miami, Larson joins NASCAR legends Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty as some of the few drivers to have won more than three Cup titles, although Earnhardt and Petty have seven each.
Larson’s focus now turns to maintaining his form into the next season, having demonstrated a level of performance that places him among the sport’s most successful drivers at a comparatively young age.
According to Yahoo Sports.
