Hamlin led 208 laps at Phoenix on Sunday but a late caution put him behind Kyle Larson for an overtime finish.

Denny Hamlin has two years left on a NASCAR Cup Series contract extension he signed with Joe Gibbs Racing over the summer but the 'deep cut' of how he was denied his first championship on Sunday makes it hard for him to envision coming back.

When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it,” Paulo Coelho famously once wrote in The Alchemist. And for Denny Hamlin, the 2025 NASCAR season felt like living proof of that idea.

Denny Hamlin reflects on his painful NASCAR championship loss at Phoenix, saying he “needs time” after seeing his title hopes slip away.

Hamlin was less than three laps away from winning the 2025 Cup Series title when William Byron crashed, resulting in a caution. Hamlin took four tires on the ensuing pit stop, restarted in ninth and couldn’t catch Kyle Larson, who restarted fifth and finished second to beat Hamlin and capture the championship.

Denny Hamlin’s heartbreak at Phoenix reverberated far beyond the No. 11 pit box. Fans, analysts, and even his competitors felt the gut punch that came with watching a season’s worth of work slip through his fingers.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes one thing could bring Denny Hamlin some peace after his heartbreaking Phoenix defeat.

Despite leading 208 of the overall 319 laps, Hamlin was unable to rally in the overtime with the four fresh tires. He came up short behind his good friend Larson, who was able to use the momentum of the outside lane to remain a few spots ahead of Hamlin. Hamlin, instead, dove to the inside on the restart but couldn't get clear of several cars.