Editor’s note: This is the last in a series in which we goodbye the top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in reverse order of the final 2025 standings.
Driver: Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Team leader: Cliff Daniels
Final ranking 2025: 1st
Key stats: 3 wins, 15 top 5s, 22 top 10s, 1,106 laps led
How 2025 ended: In the best possible way, lift the Bill France Cup at the end of the season. Larson entered the ranks of multiple Cup Series champions with his second title, passing Denny Hamlin during the final series of pit stops of the Phoenix Raceway finale and holding on in overtime for a third-place finish – best among the Championship 4 field. He became the 18th driver in NASCAR history with more than one Cup Series championship, and the third to score more than one for Hendrick Motorsports, joining seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson and four-time title winner Jeff Gordon.
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Best race: Two high-scoring days stand out, but Larson’s spring victory at Bristol Motor Speedway was a masterful performance that provided the No. 5 team with much-needed momentum. Larson led 411 of 500 lapssweeping both stages along the way. The triumph followed another Bristol adventure a day earlier in the
RELATED: 2026 Cup Series Schedule | Kyle Larson driver page
Other highlights of the season: Larson had similar strength on display at Kansas Speedway in May, when he connected a resounding victory to repeat in the Advent Health 400. He started from the pole position and led 221 of 267 laps, taking the Cup Series points lead for the first time in 2025. Larson’s day marked another historic distinction – the most laps led by a driver in a 400-mile race on a 1.5-mile track in series history.
Stat to know: Larson added to the rich history of Hendrick Motorsports, winning his record 15th Cup Series championship a year after the organization celebrated its 40th anniversary. He also became the third driver to win multiple titles in the playoff format, joining three-time champion Joey Logano and two-time champion Kyle Busch.
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Quotable: “I don’t think any of us expected to win a second championship the way we did today. It probably makes it feel different again. Still, we’re on the list twice. It’s something we can be proud of. As far as legacy goes, I haven’t thought about it much yet. As I’ve mentioned many times before, I think it’s really hard to think about that kind of thing right now, because you’re always in competition and plan to compete for a good while. We’re still going to try to go out there and win more races. The legacy will take care of itself as we get closer. Larson, hours after winning the championship in Phoenix.
Looking to the future: Expect some changes to the No. 5 team, led by Larson and the masterful Cliff Daniels at the top of the booth. The 33-year-old driver’s contract with Hendrick Motorsports expires after the 2026 season, so securing his services will be a priority for the organization. In track terms, Larson has gone 24 races without a Cup Series victory – a baffling eternity for a driver of his caliber. However, if Larson finds himself in title contention again next year, he will enter the season finale at the new host track, Homestead-Miami Speedway, as the title racer. And series champion.
