Overview
- Kyle Larson detailed choosing two right-side tires on the Lap 309 caution and said that call, after surviving a right-front failure on Lap 214, enabled his third-place finish to clinch the championship.
- Denny Hamlin led 208 laps but fell back after a four-tire stop for overtime, and he said on his podcast he has not spoken with crew chief Chris Gayle since the defeat.
- Hamlin described consoling his fiancée and daughters after the race and said he is avoiding video of his terminally ill father watching the finale.
- Hamlin signaled he will return in 2026 in part because NASCAR is preparing changes to the Playoffs format, with officials keeping a 10-race postseason but not yet disclosing specifics.
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. backed Hamlin’s elite form, while Hamlin praised Larson’s grace in victory; Larson has already resumed a busy offseason slate of dirt races.