NASCAR
Kyle Larson Goes Back-to-Back in Cup Titles, Blaney Breaks Through at Homestead
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – NASCAR’s three time champions club grows by one in 2026, with Kyle Larson’s clinching performance at Homestead. The standout team for this season’s Chase scored enough points for the Bill France Cup before Sunday’s checkered flag. This page is just another footnote in a winning novel that further cements the No. 5 Chevrolet’s place in racing history. In spite of Larson suffering damage that hampered his finishing result, Homestead’s winning battle was not too shabby either. Ryan Blaney ends the season on top as the last winner for the second straight year. In a similar vein, Larson and Hendrick Motorsports also advanced their own successful record by taking back-to-back titles.
Tyler Reddick took command just after opening pit stops, converting that into an opening Stage win. Not far behind him, Larson finished fourth, earning just enough points to clinch the championship after 80 laps.
The mission is complete. pic.twitter.com/9j1aYHZhY6
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 8, 2026
Stage 2 would likewise be won by Denny Hamlin. This electric run came after team No. 11 committed to going after the win following title elimination. Hamlin remained out from until the final round of green flag pit stops just outside of the final 50 laps, where William Byron cycled to the lead. Byron appeared en route to back-to-back wins to close 2026, until a caution flew with 13 laps left.
On the restart, Reddick initially retook command but was no match for a hard charging Ryan Blaney. Losing Homestead on the last lap to the No. 45 two years ago, Blaney was not to be denied this time around. The Penske driver ended 2026 with four wins and at fourth in points. Meanwhile, Kyle Larson’s third championship celebration was on after the 5 finished 12th. Early wall contact forced the 5 to a mid-pack result, but that didn’t put any rain on a second-straight Hendrick Motorsports championship parade.
Homestead rarely disappoints! @Blaney wins the final race of the season in exciting fashion! pic.twitter.com/KB0DLuU8o4
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 9, 2026
Title defended. pic.twitter.com/pCfGcHp76d
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 8, 2026
“You definitely think about [having the title clinched], but try not to,” Larson said. “I’m just so proud of my team, first and foremost. Hendrick Motorsports, this was statistically probably one of our worst years. To still come away with the championship shows how resilient everybody at the race shop is, everybody on my 5 team, all my teammates, 24, the 9, the 48. GM too, Chevrolet, all the key partners there. We absolutely could not have done what we did in the Chase without the teamwork that it took. That’s what this championship is, makes it so meaningful, just the teamwork. This one more than any of them took teamwork.”
“10 weeks ago, I don’t know if my fans had a clue. I definitely didn’t. We just didn’t have the speed. Our execution was so-so at the time. I felt like we had glimpses all throughout really our career where we could turn it on when everything was right. That’s what we did. We made no mistakes really, until tonight, all of them behind the wheel. I got the word that we had clinched it. I started driving like an idiot. I’m more mad at myself.”
“Again, thanks to Cliff Daniels, my whole team. Cliff mentioned on the radio our car chief, Jesse Saunders, he doesn’t get enough credit for what he means to our race team, too. The boss here, Mr. Hendrick, Miss Linda, thank you for everything.”
Finishing fourth at Homestead and second in the championship would be Christopher Bell, setting a new career high point. On the strength of his Southern 500 win and battling back from a broken wrist at Michigan, driver 20 now aims to be one spot higher in 2027.
“I’m really proud of the consistency that we had,” Bell said. “Throughout the course of even 2025, we went on that hot stretch and won a lot of races early on, then we kind of fell off. This year consistently we were in the mix. We were in there for contention of race wins. Obviously disappointed we didn’t win more. Yeah, just happy and thrilled and thankful that I’m in position. Something to build on. Hopefully we can execute a little bit better and get that grand prize at the end.”
Entering this year’s Chase admittedly lacking confidence for another title run, Larson saw a magical 10-week run. The 5 team ended a 51-race losing drought at Gateway in September. This was followed by a clutch Kansas win two weeks later. An exclamation point was then put on Larson’s title march with a miraculous last lap at Talladega two weeks ago.
Kyle Larson is the 11th man to claim a third NASCAR Cup Series title, and the second-youngest to do so at age 34. Standing even with him in championships are: Lee Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Tony Stewart, and Joey Logano. Larson is now one title shy of tying his childhood hero and current boss Jeff Gordon at four Cup trophies. Whether or not Larson can catch the icon in 2027 will be a fun story to track all season long. For the first time in 16 years, a driver takes repeat Cup titles, with Kyle Larson mirroring Jeff Gordon (1997-1998) and Jimmie Johnson (2006-2010).
Larson keeps his moniker of man to beat heading into the 2027 racing season, where he will try to win an unprecedented three-peat. Year two of The Chase will surely bring with it very stout competition who learn this format as fast as the No. 5 team. Racecars may lie silent for the next 97 days, but the new year will arrive before too long.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
