Bittersweet. That’s how Kyle Larson probably felt when the checkered flag was waved at Phoenix Raceway. On one hand, ‘Yung Money’ had won the championship in bizarre circumstances, his second Cup Series trophy of his career. But on the flip side, it came at the expense of Denny Hamlin, who utterly dominated the race, with many feeling he deserved his moment after decades of falling short. NASCAR has always been a sport defined by fine margins, and it all came down to race strategy, with the No. 5 Chevy restarting fifth.

Eventually, in the two-lap overtime shootout, the No. 5 car went on to take third place, the highest finisher among the Championship 4 contenders, and that’s what sealed Larson’s fate. But Denny Hamlin was left unfulfilling his father’s wish despite leading the most laps a

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