Kyle Larson is the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver had been fantastic during the playoffs, so it was only fitting he claimed the final race of the season Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway.
Larson was stellar pretty much wire-to-wire this season, so it does not come as much of a surprise that he finished victorious.
That said, he had to fight off valiant efforts from the other Championship Four drivers, with Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin finishing second and third, respectively. Chase Elliott, the other championship driver, finished fifth, with Ryan Blaney coming in fourth.
Larson’s future in NASCAR was uncertain at one point after getting suspended during 2020 for using a racial slur during a virtual race, which got him dropped by Chip Ganassi Racing. He was not cleared to return until October, so this was his first season back.
