Among the four NASCAR Cup Series drivers competing for the championship this weekend, who truly deserves the title? The contenders are a competitive mix: Denny Hamlin holds the most wins, William Byron led the most laps and clinched the regular season title, Chase Briscoe boasts the most top-five finishes, and Kyle Larson, the 2021 champion, ranks second in several key stats. It’s hard to argue that the champion shouldn’t be the driver who performs best over the four final races.
At the one-mile Phoenix Raceway, no clear favorite emerges between Joe Gibbs Racing’s Hamlin and Briscoe and Hendrick Motorsports’ Byron and Larson. Both teams have enjoyed recent success at Phoenix, and all four drivers have won there before. Picking a winner is tough, but Kyle Larson stands out—not only as the former champion but for his strong playoff performance, even if he hasn’t won a playoff race recently. Larson showed resilience in the spring race’s closing laps against competitors like Hamlin and Christopher Bell, and his speed and teamwork with crew chief Cliff Daniels could give him the edge to end his team’s winless streak.
Hamlin might have been the choice if not for mechanical issues in recent weeks, including problems with power steering, throttle cables, and the engine. His team’s history of occasional playoff mechanical failures also casts doubt on his chances. Briscoe, despite early playoff dominance at Darlington, has yet to prove he can consistently outperform the others on the sport’s biggest stage. Byron remains a bit unpredictable—though he won the Daytona 500 and led the regular season stats, his performance has fluctuated between potential top-five and top-10 finishes.
In the other series, Corey Heim in the Truck Series (11 wins) and Connor Girish in the Xfinity Series (10 wins) are the top picks. Both have outperformed their rivals all year and are strong candidates to claim their respective championships. Notably, defending Truck Series champ Ty Majeski and Xfinity champ Justin Allgaier are still in the mix but haven’t matched the consistency of Heim and Girish this season.
—Bob Pokras, a longtime motorsports journalist covering NASCAR and INDYCAR on FOX Sports.
Fan Take: This championship showdown highlights the unpredictability and intense competition that make NASCAR thrilling for fans. Larson’s potential comeback and the rise of new champions in the Truck and Xfinity Series could signal a fresh and exciting era for the sport.
