Late caution robs Hamlin of title in probable final year of format

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Denny Hamlin was shell-shocked, a vacant look in his eyes, as he tried to explain how he yet again came up short in his quest to win a NASCAR Cup Series championship. William Byron approached, placed his hand on Hamlin's shoulder, and apologized for causing the caution that cost Hamlin the title. The greatest NASCAR driver to never win a Cup championship fell short of ditching that label when Byron blew a tire on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, beginning the sequence of events that cost Hamlin the title. Hamlin was three laps away from the finish, held a lead of more than three seconds, and had dominated almost the entire race. But the caution sent the race to overtime and forced teams to make critical decisions about pitting. Hamlin took four new tires, but Kyle Larson took just two to get back on track ahead of Hamlin. In a two-lap sprint to the finish, Hamlin couldn't catch Larson and Larson finished ahead of him to claim his second title. What followed was surreal. Hamlin's young daughters sobbed uncontrollably amid a crowd of demoralized Joe Gibbs Racing crew members. Hamlin was stoic but clearly heartbroken as a sixth chance at a championship had slipped away. Larson, in the thick of a Hendrick Motorsports team celebration, even struggled with the emotions. He hadn't led a single lap at Phoenix, is stuck in a 24-race losing streak dating to May, and had just beaten his 44-year-old friend in what could have been Hamlin's last chance to win a title. "There's definitely a large piece of me that feels really bad and sad," Larson said. "When you don't win the race, you don't lead a lap, you win the championship, you steal it from a guy who has tried for so long and had it in his fingertips, it's a really weird feeling." Byron felt awful for his role in altering the outcome, and race-winner Ryan Blaney took no joy in Hamlin's agony. "It just doesn't seem right," Byron said. The final weekend of this NASCAR season was probably also the last one for this winner-take-all championship format. NASCAR has been brainstorming all year on new formats because of lukewarm fan response to the knockout system that ultimately sends a final four into the finale, with the highest finisher that day getting the championship. Phoenix showed exactly why the fans are fed up. Corey Heim had 11 victories at the start of the Craftsman Truck Series finale on Friday night, but needed to dip his truck low in an outrageous seven-wide scramble in overtime to secure the title. He did pull out the win and NASCAR dodged the controversy of a 12-race winner being denied a championship because of a gimmicky format. NASCAR wasn't so fortunate the next night in the Xfinity Series when 10-race winner Connor Zilisch lost the championship because Jesse Love won the race. Love opened the season with a win at Daytona International Speedway and closed it with a win at Phoenix — his only two victories of the season, but good enough in the present format. Then came Hamlin's defeat on Sunday. He won a series-high six Cup races this year, started from the pole, and led 208 laps only to be robbed of the title by a poorly-timed caution and the strategic decision to take four tires — a call that led to a lengthier pit stop than Larson and gave Larson the advantage. Larson finished the race in third, Hamlin in sixth. He long ago accepted he may never win a championship — Hamlin came up empty five previous times — and he's content with his 60 career wins that include three Daytona 500 victories. He recognizes that he's worked within the parameters set by NASCAR for how a champion will be crowned, and he's lost playing with the same ruleset as every other competitor. Now, the rules will likely be changed this offseason, and every indication is that NASCAR is leaning towards a format that will use a four-race final push in which the winner is decided by points earned over those races. Hamlin, with a shattered heart, offered no opinion on what format he'd like to see for what likely will be the final few years of his driving career. "Gosh, I don't know," he said. "Golly, in this moment, I never want to race a car ever again. I mean, my fun meter is pegged."