Kyle Larson clinches third NASCAR Cup championship and second in a row

According to NBC Sports, Kyle Larson secured his third NASCAR title early during the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Larson earned seven points when the first segment ended on Lap 80, ensuring that contenders Christopher Bell, who finished third in the first stage, and Denny Hamlin, who finished fifth, could not catch him. Crew chief Cliff Daniels radioed to Larson that it was over, and Larson responded that it felt a little anticlimactic. Team owner Rick Hendrick celebrated with Daniels atop the pit box for the No. 5 Chevrolet.

NBC Sports reported that Larson finished the 267-lap, 400-mile race in 12th place. He won the title by 49 points over Christopher Bell and 56 points over Denny Hamlin. Ryan Blaney won the race finale by passing Tyler Reddick for the lead with a lap to go. Larson joined Tony Stewart, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Joey Logano, Lee Petty, and Darrell Waltrip as drivers with three championships in NASCAR's premier series.

Larson stated that it was statistically one of their worst years and praised the resilience of everyone at the race shop, his No. 5 team, and his teammates. At 34 years old, the Elk Grove, California native became the third-youngest three-time champion in NASCAR history, behind Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Larson also became the 14th driver to win at least two consecutive Cup championships and the first since Johnson won five in a row from 2006 to 2010. Hendrick Motorsports holds a record 16 Cup championships among a record five drivers.

Larson entered the Chase in seventh place, ended a 51-race winless streak with a victory at Gateway, and added wins at Kansas Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. During the Chase, Larson improved his average finish by 10 positions, moving from 17.230 during the regular season to 7.30, and scored nearly 18 more points per race. Among the 16 title contenders during the Chase, Larson ranked first in every major category, including average finish, laps led, and wins.