“We Knew The Format & He Did as Well”- Kyle Larson Shuts Down Sympathy Talk Over Denny Hamlin’s Title Heartbreak

Denny Hamlin was three laps away from the NASCAR Cup Series championship when it slipped out of his hands at Phoenix Raceway. Kyle Larson was the driver who benefited, even though Hamlin had led 208 laps and looked set to finish the job. That ending stayed with Larson, too. He admitted feeling bad for Hamlin, an awkward reaction for the man celebrating the title. Nearly a year later, Larson has little sympathy left, and his explanation goes beyond what happened at Phoenix. “We knew the format, and he did as well,” Larson said on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour.