NASCAR CUP SERIES: PLAYOFFS | CHAMPIONSHIP 4

November 2, 2025

Kyle Larson

Press Conference

An Interview with:

THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion, and that is Kyle Larson.

We'll get right to questions for Kyle.

Q. I asked Jeff and Mr. Hendrick this question, but on that last restart, when you saw where you started and you knew where Denny was, was this the moment you said, I got this?

KYLE LARSON: Never did I feel like I had it. I was honestly surprised people stayed out. I thought I was going to line up on the front row with Ryan. This is going to be good, he can choose the bottom. I know what to expect into one with grip. When they said a few of them stayed out, I was like, Oh, no, this is not good.

I was able to line up behind Alex, just run really hard through one and two and get the clean air I needed.

My hope was that Denny was not going to get a great one and two. I thought with four fresh tires, he might get through there well. We might be side by side. I thought that's how it would net out off of two.

I got a better one and two than I expected. Then yeah, for a bit I thought I was going to win. They were going kind of crazy on the radio, my spotter was, telling me that the 11 was kind of jammed up back there.

I was going to be committed to the outside lane. I felt like that was going to be my best opportunity to find clean air, maintain momentum. Yeah, was just trying not to crash there at the end.

I still wanted to win really bad. It's been a while. I was trying what I could to win the race. But yeah, we did what we had to do to win the championship. Just insane. Insane circumstances to get us to this point.

Q. You said 'insane circumstances'. What is it like to win a championship under insane circumstances?

KYLE LARSON: Yeah, it's insane (smiling).

I don't know. I mean, did anybody in here think that we had a shot? Like, I definitely -- like Cliff was saying, we weren't dead but we were pretty close.

Yeah, the final stage was not going how we needed it to. I didn't feel great about my car, but I thought my team was doing a good job to keep me in striking distance if we had a caution, we could get a good pit stop and make it work, hopefully have a shot that way.

We had whatever happened on the one pit stop, lined up 18th. From then on, I was, This is going to be near impossible to beat these guys. The 11 was by far the best car. I thought him and the 12 was really good. Out of the four of us, the 11 I thought was the best. I'm much further behind them.

Then that same run, I had the right front go down. Just knew I was going to lose one lap, hoping it was going to time out where I didn't lose two laps. Thankfully that was the case.

Then, yeah, we got a caution. Thankfully, just one and a half laps on my tires, we were able to do the wave-around. Kind of at a slight disadvantage on tires, so I wasn't able to make my way forward very well.

Then, yeah, we got a caution with however many to go, 30 something to go. We decided to take rights. I was like, Oh, boy, I wasn't expecting that. As I turn in the stall, he said, We're doing right sides.

I was like, Oh, man, we'll see here.

Yeah, the grip much better than I thought it was going to be on those right sides. Was able to maintain in fifth. We're back in it here. If we get another late caution, maybe we might take two tires. If we take four, we can have a good stop. I know we can do it, done it before, gaining four spots and winning the championship.

Yeah, when this unfortunate break for William came out, caution, Cliff and I were on the same page about right sides. Yeah, just kind of knew what to expect with the grip from having one go at it already.

Q. With potential change in formats, Homestead being part of the championship race, do you feel things could be more in your wheelhouse for more titles?

KYLE LARSON: You never know. Yeah, I mean, right now I don't even know the format, so...

But yeah, I mean, I think it would be a little bit more in my favor. I think it would be a little bit more in everybody's favor, honestly. I think we all would take multiple races rather than just one because a lot can happen in just one, obviously.

Thankfully we were on the right end of it tonight. It could easily have been the other way around, like what happened to Denny.

But yeah, I mean, I think if it's a single race, sure, I feel better about it at Homestead. If it's multiple races, I feel better about that. Any track, you can throw any tracks, whatever it might be, 10, four, 36, I would feel better, my chances are better.

We'll see. I'm just soaking this in right now, still trying to figure out how it all happened.

Q. When I was talking to Joey after the race, asked him what it meant to have you in the multi-time champions club, he said that you guys obviously are a great team, you're a great driver. Whenever you're down and out, you still come back and win the championship. What does that mean hearing another champion talk about you like that?

KYLE LARSON: Well, it feels cool because I don't think there's anybody, any team, better at it than Joey's and the 22 team.

This Playoff for us was as Joey Logano as it gets (smiling). Maybe not being the fastest, but our team getting us through it all, ultimately getting us the championship.

It feels amazing to join him as well as the other multi-time champions. I'm really excited. I think one of the most special things, probably the most special thing about being a champion, is getting that book.

I'm grateful to get my hands on it again, get to see what was written in the few years since I have won. Yeah, it's going to be pretty neat.

He's a great champion. Hopefully I can carry myself as a great multi-time champion, as well.

Q. Now that you have accomplished this feat, what do you feel like a second championship does for your legacy?

KYLE LARSON: I don't know. I still don't know. 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.

Q. You got to drive your kids to Victory Lane. Denny Hamlin was greeted by his daughters in absolute tears. What kind of empathy can you have or do you have for him? Whenever you talk to him, what do you say to him after today?

KYLE LARSON: No, I mean, I definitely have a lot of empathy for him. I said it I think in the interview I did on the stage. It's great to celebrate and all that, but it does feel a little awkward because he has put so much time and energy, has been so close to winning so many championships. This is as close as he's ever been.

Sure he's a competitor, but he is a friend. I was going to be happy for him to win. That's kind of what I was thinking about. Like, man, I can't wait to go tell him, Good job. Then the caution came out and the script flipped right there, so...

Yeah, I haven't seen him. I haven't seen an interview. I haven't seen the moments that I'm sure he had with his family, shared that with his daughters.

Yeah, no, I mean, sure I'm happy, but there's definitely a piece of me that is sad for him, as well. I'm sure all of us in here, even the Denny haters, I'm sure there's a spot where they're sad, too.

That's competition. That's the format. It's just weird, you know? But yeah, I still hope someday he can get to feel what it's like.

Q. Have you been briefed at all or told about what your public champion schedule is going to look like? Trip to New York, et cetera. What does that look like?

KYLE LARSON: Yeah, it starts early tomorrow (smiling). That's scary. Yeah, I think it is early tomorrow. I know that. I don't know how long tomorrow lasts.

Yeah, banquet Tuesday. I'm not really sure what goes on Monday and Tuesday. I think Wednesday we go Chicago. Am I not supposed to talk about it?

Q. Indy, then New York.

KYLE LARSON: Then to Cabo (smiling). I'm missing Cabo. I was supposed to go to Cabo on Wednesday, but now I guess we'll get there Thursday night.

Q. Thursday night.

KYLE LARSON: All right. With tequila.

Q. What do you think you're going to remember most about tonight's championship run?

KYLE LARSON: I don't know. It's still so fresh that it's honestly hard to believe that I'm sitting right here talking to you guys after what we went through tonight. I think that's probably what's going to probably be the thing that I look back on, is just how unbelievable today was, the last 40 minutes of the race for us.

Yeah, just incredible. Just really proud of my team, proud of Cliff. So proud of Cliff and the work that he puts in obviously on the race cars and all that. But the work that he puts in on the team, the leadership, himself personally, is just amazing. I think he is the reason why we are champions again.

Q. Your comments about Denny, you brought that up unprompted in your television interview. You win a championship, but instead you're thinking about a guy that you beat. What did you feel in that moment to bring him up? Did it feel not like you didn't deserve it, but were the emotions split there?

KYLE LARSON: No, I mean, it was all so wild and crazy. I had all the elation, obviously, because we had just accomplished something that was not on our radar for a lot of it. I was so happy and thrilled. Celebrated with my team on the backstretch. Went to the frontstretch to do my celebrating, interviews, whatnot.

I got done and I could see his car and team and him doing interviews. It kind of hit me like, Oh, man, I can't imagine what he's feeling right now.

We've all gone through our own defeats. I really can't imagine what he's feeling. It's got to be something completely different than I ever felt before through any of my defeats.

Yeah, I had another opportunity to give an interview. I just wanted to let everybody know how I felt. Again, he's a great competitor. He's a good friend. In 20 years of trying, getting so close, I just...

There's definitely a large piece of me that feels really bad and sad. But at the same point, I'm happy. It's such a weird feeling. When you don't win the race, you don't lead a lap, you win the championship, you steal it from a guy who has tried for so long and had it in his fingertips, it's a really weird feeling.

Q. You said you were hesitant about the two-tire call. Cliff gave credit to some of the guys on your crew that were in his ear. He knew that he had to make that two-tire call, then the second one was kind of a no-brainer. You'd already given him the code. For a guy who already had issues with tires, did you ever have hesitancy? Did you know that was the right call?

KYLE LARSON: The first two-tire call, I didn't know if it would be the right call. I'll be honest, I didn't have as much confidence that time. We just ran a long run, I was struggling. I thought with this softer tire, the lefts maybe were going to be not as strong as what they ended up being.

Then when I went through that first restart, was kind of a ways back from the 19, just throttled up, and I got back alongside of him, ultimately passed him. Sure, yeah, I fell back to fifth. Guys on four tires passed me.

Yeah, I knew if we got another caution, give it any laps, that two tires in my mind is going to be a no-brainer. I hoped that Cliff was thinking the same way.

Yeah, when the caution came out, I named off the code words. I was like, C'mon, say it. What he did. He did. I was like, Cool, we got a shot here.

Q. The question was asked earlier about having empathy for those drivers and families that didn't win. How special is it that you got to take your kids on that victory lap, especially with Audrey and Owen being able to remember that?

KYLE LARSON: It's great. Have my family here and my kids. They love to celebrate, too.

Audrey, it's been a while since I've won, and I'll never forget the first thing she said to me. She was like, Dad, you finally won again.

I was like, Kinda.

Cooper wasn't even born yet for our last one. I can't wait to go take all the photos that we get to after this, update my iPad with him sitting in the Cup. Last time it was Audrey sitting in the Cup. We'll throw him in the Cup.

Yeah, I got a lot of friends here, too, and family. I look forward to getting through all this and getting to hang out with them and celebrating because they're all a big piece of it, too.

Q. How does this compare to the first championship?

KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I mean, I think it means every bit as much as the first one. I thought that's kind of how it would be. I didn't anticipate obviously winning the championship in the fashion that we did today. So I think that takes it kind of another level up from what I thought it might feel like.

Yeah, the first championship, we dominated the season, led tons of laps, all of the things that a champion should do. Everything kind of came easy back then. The championship race didn't, but the season was.

Today the season has been a challenge. Today was way more challenging even than that 2021 victory was. Hopefully I am fortunate enough to win other championships along the way. I think each would mean something different. Keep it equally as special.

Yeah, this one was such a team win throughout the whole year, all of that, that I think I'll never forget it for that, for sure.

Q. If we rewind this movie two, three years ago, we put it today, what is the title of this movie? You already told us what the sentiments, feelings were, but the mindset that you were right there putting in your eyes, what it meant? Tell us.

KYLE LARSON: Yeah, I don't know. I'm not good at coming up with one-liners, obviously titles to movies.

I don't know. Cliff kept saying, We ain't dead yet. It was hard to believe him, but we weren't dead, so...

But no, again, just an unreal feeling that I hope I'll remember. I hope I'll get to experience it again along the way. Just shock, proud, all of the emotions, and sad also at the same time.

Yeah, just couldn't wait to celebrate with my team because it was such a team victory, team championship. Again, just proud of everybody. Look forward to hopefully more opportunities along the way.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. We look forward to celebrating you on Tuesday.

KYLE LARSON: Thank you. Thank you, guys, for all you do for our sport, all the hours you put in promoting us. Thank you.