Kyle Larson detailed his decisive move in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series finale during a candid discussion on a podcast hosted by Mike Bagley and Pete Pistone, revealing how a bold pit strategy led to his championship victory. The Hendrick Motorsports driver, reflecting on the season-ending race, attributed his triumph to a crucial decision regarding tire selection, a moment that has since become central to the story of his championship win, and underscored the importance of the Kyle Larson NASCAR championship decision.
As the 2025 Cup Series finale unfolded, Larson started the race in third position, narrowly missing out on pole by just 0.07 seconds behind Denny Hamlin. Stage one saw Larson taking fifth place as his Hendrick teammate, William Byron, crossed the line first in that segment. Progressing through stage two, Larson improved to fourth place, with the drama intensifying around the team’s tire strategy call.
The pivotal moment came when Hamlin, considered the dominant force in the race, chose a four-tire pit stop. In a move that defied convention, the #5 Chevy team opted for a two-tire stop, a risky approach that gave Larson a critical track advantage. Reflecting on this strategic gamble, Larson recalled,
“I was like, just turning into my stall, and I think they said, ‘Your right sides leaving on track and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is a desperate call, and I don’t think it’s gonna work. But, you know, here we go. And then, yeah, then it worked out so well that when the caution came out for the next one, it was really was really a no-brainer to do two tires again.”
Kyle Larson, Driver
This approach proved successful, influencing another key decision when the next caution flag appeared. Larson further discussed his communication with the team regarding the second two-tire stop, adding,
“And I had come on the radio with our code words just to get an idea, but also you’ll lend a direction and where I wanted to go, which I think they could tell I wanted to go two tires, and yeah, we were on the same page.”
Kyle Larson, Driver
Emerging from this dramatic strategy with an edge, Larson ultimately completed the 319-lap contest three places ahead of title contender Denny Hamlin, finishing third to Hamlin’s sixth. This result secured Larson’s championship, marking a pinnacle moment for Hendrick Motorsports.
Larson Shares Thoughts on NASCAR’s Championship Race Format
Shortly after clinching the title, Kyle Larson joined the Rubbin is Racing podcast to share his views on NASCAR’s evolving championship structure. Over the past few years, NASCAR has employed a playoff format featuring three rounds of eliminations before the finale, with four drivers competing for the Cup in the season’s closing race. This format, however, has continued to spark debate among fans and participants alike, prompting discussion of possible changes for future seasons.
On the podcast, Larson expressed reservations about the single-race system used to decide the champion, arguing for a format that includes more races to accurately reflect driver skill over the course of a season. He stated,
“I don’t think there’s ever a clear one hundred percent, you know, perfect format that everybody in the world is gonna agree on. But I think what we can all agree on, I think what you know, Sunday maybe proved that we need more than one race, yes, whether that is 36 or 10 or four or whatever the number is, it should be more than one because of moments like that.”
Kyle Larson, Driver
His comments shed light on ongoing discussions within the stock car racing association about how best to determine a season’s champion and the pressure that comes from a single winner-takes-all race.
Performance Highlights from Larson’s 2025 Season
Larson established himself as a formidable force throughout the Cup Series, registering three wins, with a consistent presence in the top ten (22 finishes) and top five (15 finishes). Notably, he also secured a pole position at Kansas Speedway, led over a thousand race laps, and averaged an 11.389 starting position across the season’s 36 races, cementing his place among elite NASCAR drivers.
Fellow competitors such as Denny Hamlin and William Byron were major players throughout the season, and the Hendrick Motorsports squad—often referenced as HMS—remained at the forefront of team strategies and performances. The #5 Chevy team’s tactical decisions, combined with Larson’s skilled driving, proved a winning formula against seasoned drivers across tracks including Kansas Speedway and the championship race venues.
NASCAR’s playoff system, the role of pit stops, and the drama of race-day decisions continue to define the Cup Series. As the organization, stock car racing association, and drivers consider potential alterations to the race structure in upcoming seasons, Larson’s victory and post-race insights underscore the high stakes and unpredictability inherent in racing’s championship moments.
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