Veteran Journalist Flaunts Matt Kenseth Receipts Backing NASCAR’s Early Trophy Refusal

A championship celebration usually comes with a checkered flag, but what happens when the title is settled before the season’s final race? Kyle Larson could face exactly that situation at Martinsville, where scoring 59 points would secure the 2026 Cup Series championship regardless of how his rivals finish. With Homestead still waiting on the schedule, NASCAR could have a newly crowned champion without an immediate trophy presentation. And that possibility has brought an interesting piece of championship history back into the spotlight, raising questions about how the sport has handled early title clinches before.