National Sports

Larson quickly clinches NASCAR title at Miami

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- With the NASCAR Cup Series championship flag flying from a car window, Kyle Larson’s youngest child stood atop the No. 5 Chevrolet and signaled to everyone what had been known for hours.

Three-year-old Cooper held up a single finger.

Yep, his dad was No. 1 again.

Larson clinched his third Cup Series title in six years early in the 400-mile season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday. He became NASCAR’s first back-to-back champion since Jimmie Johnson in 2010; Johnson won five in a row beginning in 2006. Both of them accomplished the feat at powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports.

The 34-year-old Larson also became the 11th driver in NASCAR history with three Cup titles, joining a list that includes seven-time champs Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Johnson. Jeff Gordon has four. Lee Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Tony Stewart and Joey Logano have three.

“He’s going to pass me,” said Gordon, the vice chairman at Hendrick. “I’ve already come to that conclusion. Kind of knew that when he was coming to Hendrick Motorsports. He’s special.”

Ryan Blaney won the season finale, which returned to South Florida for the first time since 2019. The championship event had perfect weather and a star-studded lineup of celebrities, including Johnson, singers Jason Derulo and Cole Swindell, WNBA star Sophie Cunningham and golfer John Daly. Racing legend Mario Andretti also tapped a good luck message for Larson.

They were treated to a drama-filled ending. Blaney passed Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing with a little more than a lap to go and with NBA legend Michael Jordan watching from pit road. Blaney held a brief celebration in victory lane before clearing the way for Larson.

“Obviously he’s incredibly talented,” Blaney said of Larson. “His natural, God-given talent is off the charts. He is very deserving to win his third championship.”

Reddick finished second, followed by William Byron, Christopher Bell, Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin.

The real party awaited Larson, who finished 12th. He immediately stopped near the start-finish line for a smoky burnout and then exchanged high-fives and hugs with his team, his wife and his kids. He climbed atop his car with all three children.

Owen, 11, grabbed the flag and started waving it through the air. Audrey, 8, picked up a handful of confetti and started throwing it at her brothers. Cooper posed for pictures before eventually sliding down the windshield and into a pile of confetti.

It was a family affair for sure.

Larson was the overwhelming favorite to hoist the Bill France Cup in Homestead long before the green flag dropped.

He entered the weekend with a 67-point lead over Bell and needed only nine points to wrap up the title. He got one point for starting the race and seven more by finishing fourth in the opening stage. But because Bell didn’t win the opening stage, he had no path to catch Larson the rest of the day.