Nearly two weeks after Phoenix, Denny Hamlin is still feeling the burn of a championship that got away. He dominated the race from the pole and led more laps than anyone (206), and the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series title seemed within his grasp. Instead he walked away with another near miss — one that hurt more than most.
On his Actions Detrimental podcast, he finally went into detail about the exact moment he realized his life-long dream was over.
“I thought he was the third car on the outside of me. So when I go into Turn 3, and I clear whoever those cars are, I thought that was it. I thought I was past him at that point.”
One glance through the dogleg changed everything. “It’s not till we crossed the white and we went to the dogleg and the cars fanned out where you could see them all,” he continued. “And I saw the #5 with three-quarters of a mile to go, and I knew at that point, ‘Oh my God. It’s over.’ At that point I knew that he had won (and) we had lost,” he said.
Kyle Larson’s P3 finish was enough to win the championship, while Hamlin finished 6th in the final rundown. It was a quick and brutal end to what had been one of the best seasons of his career — 6 wins, consistent as can be, and 60 career wins, tying Kevin Harvick for 10th all-time.
A Championship Denny Hamlin Wanted for His Father
This particular loss carried a heavier emotional weight. Earlier this season Hamlin was open about what the 2025 title would have meant for his dad, who has been dealing with a serious, undisclosed health issue.
“I know for a fact this is my last chance for my dad to see it. I don’t want him going and never getting to see the moment,” he said in an interview earlier in the year.
After Phoenix, Hamlin shared that his father tried to balance heartbreak with perspective.
“He didn’t like the outcome, but I think he was still okay with the result,” Denny Hamlin said of his father. “You know, he said to me, just like a lot of people say…he’s like, ‘I don’t know what to say. You had it. You did it. You just don’t have the trophy, that’s it.’”
And many agree with Denny Hamlin’s father. Since the finale, the love has been pouring in for Hamlin like never before. Fans, competitors and even rivals have been flooding the garage and social media with messages of support. Since the finale, the love has been pouring in for Hamlin like never before.
For many, Denny Hamlin was the true standout of the Phoenix race despite the final result.
