Kyle Larson won the NASCAR Cup Series championship at Phoenix Raceway after a late caution and a two-tire strategy on the final pit stop. Denny Hamlin lost the chance for his first title when William Byron suffered a flat tire and hit the wall, bringing out the caution three laps from the finish. Hamlin took four tires and restarted 10th; Larson took two tires and restarted fifth. Larson finished third overall and claimed his second championship; Ryan Blaney won the race. Hamlin led 208 of 319 laps, started from the pole, and finished sixth, visibly dejected.
"Honestly, I can't believe it. We didn't lead a lap today and somehow won the championship," Larson said. "Really, I'm just speechless. I can't believe it."
"Nothing I could do different. I mean, prepared as good as I could coming into the weekend and my team gave me a fantastic car," Hamlin said. "Just didn't work out. I was just praying 'no caution' and we had one there. What can you do? It's just not meant to be."
Read at ESPN.com
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