Kyle Petty delivers verdict on who’s 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion “in anyone’s book”

Kyle Petty listed off Denny Hamlin's achievements as he called him a worthy champion despite the title loss at Phoenix. The veteran driver admitted that he was 'crushed' by Hamlin's near miss.

During Sunday's race, Hamlin ticked off almost every box for his title bid. He'd won the pole, led the most laps and was pulling away from the field. Despite facing clutch issues and a tire failure, the No.11 team was able to hold off Team Penske's Ryan Blaney and Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron.

He was also gunning for a win in front of his ailing father, but a late-race caution proved too costly for the veteran driver. The No.11 team preferred a four-tire pitstop and fell back on track position. Consequently, the two-lap shootout wasn't enough for Hamlin to make up lost ground, as Kyle Larson finished ahead with just two fresh tires.

Kyle Petty went over the outcome in his latest segment with NASCAR.

"Denny Hamlin is a champion in anyone's book. It doesn't matter that he's hoisting that trophy or not. Three Daytona 500 wins, 60 wins in the Cup Series, not to count all the top-5s and the top-10s. Not to count he's an owner along with being a driver...he's done so much for this sport. I was crushed for Denny Hamlin," he said via NASCAR's official website.

Bubba Wallace's spotter, Freddie Kraft, defended the No.11 team's call for four tires on the latest episode of Door Bumper Clear podcast.

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Kyle Petty lauds Kyle Larson for getting two Cup Series titles

Kyle Petty praised Kyle Larson for winning his second championship. Notably, Larson won the 319-lap event without leading a single lap the whole race. Moreover, the No.5 driver is on his longest winless streak since joining Hendrick Motorsports.

By finishing third at Phoenix, Larson has now gone 24 races without a win, with his last coming at Kansas Speedway. He previously recorded a 22-race winless streak in 2022.

Kyle Petty, however, explained how tough it is to end up a champion.

"Two championships in this series are a huge deal. We can go back to Bobby Allison with one, Bill Elliott with one, Rusty Wallace with one, so many drivers. Kyle Larson moves into that elite category with multiple championships," he said via aforementioned source.

Reflecting upon the No.5 team's performance, Petty further stated,

"Cliff made great calls, they did everything they needed to do to capitalise on the one mistake or the one error that Denny made. And that's what a championship team does, and that's what a champion does."

After a poor stretch of results in the opening playoff round, Larson found his groove with four consecutive top-10 finishes, including two straight runner-up placing at Charlotte Roval and Las Vegas. He was the last driver on the lead lap at Talladega, but bounced back to finish fifth at Martinsville.

Notably, Larson had finished third in the spring race at Phoenix as well.

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Edited by Vignesh Kanna