Kyle Larson secured his third NASCAR Cup Series championship on November 8 after a fourth-place finish in the first stage at Homestead-Miami Speedway. By overtaking Tyler Reddick right before the white flag, Ryan Blaney claimed the checkered flag at the season finale, according to Motorsport.com. The 2026 season concluded with Larson beating Christopher Bell by 49 points in the final standings.
Blaney earned his fourth win of the year and his 21st career Cup victory in a race that featured 18 lead changes among eight drivers. The event marked a different kind of finale since the title was decided before the final laps, leaving the race itself as a battle for bragging rights. Larson finished 12th after his car suffered diffuser damage but still coasted to the title with minimal stress.
Larson Dominates Despite Late Woes
Although Hendrick Motorsports started the Chase as the seventh seed without a win, they dominated the final ten races of the year. Larson clinched the crown by the end of Stage 1, making the rest of the event a formality for the championship. The driver admitted the feeling was a bit anticlimactic after such a long road to get there. Crew chief Cliff Daniels deserves equal credit for guiding the No. 5 team to back-to-back titles.
Bell finished 49 points behind, while Denny Hamlin trailed by 56 points in the margin of victory. With this outcome, Larson joins just 11 drivers who have secured at least three Cup Series titles. It is also his first time winning back-to-back championships in his career. The team worked around mechanical issues to improve downforce and secure the trophy.
Blaney Finds Redemption in the Final Turn
Ryan Blaney won the season finale for the second consecutive year, having also won at Phoenix last season. He led just seven laps but made the decisive pass at the exit of Turn 4 to overtake Reddick. His margin of victory over the second-place Toyota driver was exactly .314 of a second. Blaney cut a path forward from fifth place to snatch the lead on the final restart.
This victory is redemption after a heartbreaking finish in the 2024 Homestead race. Blaney called the win a victory for Team Penske and a great way to end the year. Three caution periods occurred during the race, accounting for a total of 23 laps. Twenty-five of the 40 drivers finished on the lead lap in a clean event.
Joe Gibbs Racing and Briscoe Face Hard Losses
Joe Gibbs Racing entered the fall as the championship favorite with three major contenders but failed to deliver a title. Chase Briscoe started from the pole position but suffered a catastrophic engine failure just before the end of Stage 1. He finished 39th as one of only two drivers to record a DNF in the race. Briscoe fell to sixth in the final standings after a year that ended on a sour note.
Denny Hamlin led the most laps with 87 but scraped the wall and moved out of contention for the win. Christopher Bell made a late move for the lead but could not get there before Blaney surged ahead. Ty Gibbs dealt with a late pit issue and finished 11th in the final results. The team struggled to handle the pressure of the Chase format.
Thanks to the strong showing from their drivers, Toyota secured the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturers Championship. The 2027 season will begin with the non-points Wheatley Vodka Clash on February 13 at Daytona International Speedway. The 69th Daytona 500 is scheduled to kick off the points-paying slate on February 21.
