Editor’s note: This is the last in a series in which we review the top 30 drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series in reverse order of the 2025 final standings.
Driver: Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Crew chief: Cliff Daniels
Final 2025 ranking: 1st
Key stats: 3 wins, 15 top fives, 22 top 10s, 1,106 laps led
How 2025 ended: In the best possible way, hoisting the Bill France Cup at season’s end. Larson entered the ranks of multi-time Cup Series champions with his second title, vaulting past Denny Hamlin on the final round of pit stops in the Phoenix Raceway finale and holding on in overtime for a third-place result — best among the Championship 4 field. He became the 18th driver in NASCAR history with more than one Cup Series championship, and the third to score more than one for Hendrick Motorsports, joining seven-time champ Jimmie Johnson and four-time title winner Jeff Gordon.
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Best race: Two max-points days stand out, but Larson’s springtime victory at Bristol Motor Speedway was a masterclass performance that provided the No. 5 team with a needed lift. Larson led 411 of the 500 laps, sweeping both stages along the way. The triumph followed another Bristol romp a day earlier in the Xfinity Series, where he led 276 of the 300 laps from the pole, but it also prompted a heartfelt dedication just days after the loss of longtime Hendrick Motorsports PR representative Jon Edwards.
RELATED: 2026 Cup Series schedule | Kyle Larson driver page
Other season highlights: Larson had similar strength on display at Kansas Speedway in May, when he logged a stage-sweeping victory to repeat in the Advent Health 400. He started from the pole position and led 221 of the 267 laps, vaulting into the Cup Series points lead for the first time in 2025. Larson’s day marked another historic distinction — the most laps led by any driver in a 400-mile race on a 1.5-mile track in series history.
Stat to know: Larson added to Hendrick Motorsports’ rich history, securing its record 15th Cup Series championship one year after the organization celebrated its 40th anniversary season. He also became the third driver to win multiple titles in the elimination-style playoff format, joining three-time champion Joey Logano and twice-champ Kyle Busch.
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Quotable: “I don’t think any of us foresaw us getting a second championship in the fashion that we did today. That probably makes it seem even different. Nonetheless, we’re on the list two times. That’s something to be proud of. As far as for legacy, I really don’t put a whole lot of thought into that yet. Like I’ve mentioned many times before, I think it’s really hard to think about that sort of thing right now as you’re still competing and plan to compete for quite a while. We’re still going to try and go out there and win more races. The legacy will kind of take care of itself as we approach that.” — Larson, in the hours after clinching the championship in Phoenix.
Looking ahead: Expect few changes to the core of the No. 5 team, led by Larson and the masterful Cliff Daniels atop the pit box. The 33-year-old driver’s contract with Hendrick Motorsports is up after the 2026 season, so locking up his services will be a priority for the organization. In terms of the on-track side, Larson has gone 24 races without a Cup Series win — a confounding eternity for a driver of his caliber. However, if Larson ends up in title contention again next year, he’ll enter the season finale at new host track, Homestead-Miami Speedway, as the defending race and series champion.
