Hamlin loses Cup title in overtime, sparking endgame rules debate

Denny Hamlin left Phoenix Raceway on Sunday with what he and many peers called a championship performance, only to see the trophy slip away in an overtime finish that capped a season finale whose fallout echoed through the NASCAR Awards ceremony in Scottsdale two days later. Hamlin, who led a race high 208 laps and had a roughly three second advantage late in the race, lost his lead when a late caution for William Byron forced the event into overtime. A four tire call by crew chief Chris Gayle dropped Hamlin back on pit road and opened the door for Kyle Larson, who took two tires and finished ahead to claim the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series title without having led a lap in the finale.

Team strategy and the sport's endgame rules have become focal points of the debate following the result. Hamlin told the awards audience that the loss felt unlike any previous near miss. "It was a good season. It was a great season. Almost a perfect one," he said, adding that in the final laps he believed he had done everything possible and that the format ultimately negated that work. His remarks drew a standing ovation on stage, with Larson among those who rose to applaud. Larson, during his own...