Denny Hamlin suffered another disappointing defeat in his quest for a NASCAR Cup Series title at Phoenix Raceway, reigniting calls for change in the way champions are decided. The Denny Hamlin championship loss, despite a strong performance, has led NASCAR legend Richard Petty and others to question whether the system fairly rewards the most deserving driver.
Petty Criticizes Current Title Format After Phoenix Disappointment
Last Sunday at Phoenix, Hamlin started on pole, led the most laps, and secured a Stage 2 win, fueling widespread belief among drivers and fans that this was finally his year. However, Kyle Larson outpaced him in the closing laps, stealing the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series crown despite Hamlin’s dominance at the one-mile dogleg circuit.
Richard Petty, who earned seven Cup titles between 1964 and 1979, expressed frustration over the outcome. He referenced the heavy financial investment and performance advantage Hamlin held, which was ultimately neutralized by race-day strategy and tire limitations. Petty made his views clear during an appearance on the Petty Race Recap podcast.
“The #11 car was just the class of the field. Nobody even close,”
Petty said.
“The Cup people spend that much money to run a race, and then they don’t let ’em have but just a few tires. I mean, guys spend 15 to 20 million dollars to put the car on the racetrack, (and) he’s handicapped ’cause he’s not got enough tires.”
— Richard Petty, NASCAR Hall of Famer
Petty further stressed the need for structural changes, noting how race dynamics hindered Hamlin’s ability to turn his tire advantage into a win.
“He made the right decision; traffic just didn’t allow him to take advantage of the four tires,”
Petty continued.
“There’s gonna have to be a change to the way they get the championship.”
— Richard Petty, NASCAR Hall of Famer
Hamlin’s Persistent Pursuit and Championship Agony
Hamlin is now the longest-active driver on the NASCAR Cup Series grid yet to claim a championship. His closest brush with the title before this year came in 2010, when he finished as runner-up behind Jimmie Johnson, another seven-time series champion. The recurring disappointment has made each near-miss more intense, as fans and observers debate whether the current playoff structure is truly just.
Hamlin Defends Larson After Cup Finale
Despite his own heartbreak, Hamlin stood up for his rival in the wake of online criticism. Many fans questioned the merit of Kyle Larson’s title, since the Hendrick Motorsports driver secured the championship without leading a lap in the final race. Hamlin, though frustrated by his own outcome, insisted that Larson deserved respect for his season-long performance.
“I hate for him that kind of the attention is shifted a little bit away from him and his championship because he’s definitely there’s a difference in deserving and should have been.”
— Denny Hamlin, Driver
“I think that there there’s not a one person that can should ever question his deservingness of being a champion,”
he added. — Denny Hamlin, Driver
NASCAR’s Next Chapter and Future Implications
As the dust settles from another tense championship outcome, the calls for reform have become louder within the NASCAR community. With the season on pause until the Daytona 500—the iconic 68th annual race returning February 15, 2026—drivers, teams, and stakeholders face the persistent challenge of ensuring that the sport’s most consistent and high-performing competitors are adequately rewarded.
The debate sparked by the Denny Hamlin championship loss highlights the mounting frustration with the system among legends like Richard Petty and current drivers. As organizations like Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, and others prepare for the next season, the pressure may build on NASCAR leadership to evaluate how its format measures true success on the racetrack.
The #11 was the class of the field. Find out what The King and Dale thought about the championship race in Phoenix and more on this weeks edition of the Petty Race Recap. Streaming now on the Petty Family Racing YouTube channel.
LINK: https://t.co/Si53PtYRh8 pic.twitter.com/vaKQyujceN
— Richard Petty (@therichardpetty) November 5, 2025
