Denny Hamlin came heartbreakingly close in Phoenix. Despite having the fastest car on the track, the championship slipped through his fingers. In the aftermath, the driver held his head high, pouring his heart out in gratitude for his team. The pain, though, was undeniable. It lingered so visibly that even champion Kyle Larson paused his own celebration to acknowledge Hamlin’s heartbreak at the NASCAR Awards ceremony.

“I’ve got to give a special shout-out to Denny Hamlin,” Larson said during his speech. “Nobody in this sport works harder or expects more out of himself.

“Year after year, he raises the bar and pushes his competitors to be better. He holds himself to a true championship standard, and I think everyone in this room has a ton of respect for that.”

While Larson was in the shadows for most of the season, Denny Hamlin hogged the spotlight. The reasons were mixed. On one hand, there was the ongoing battle between his team, 23XI Racing, and NASCAR. On the other hand, Hamlin struggled to adapt to a new crew chief and seek a championship for his ailing father. That is why when he locked himself into the Final Four in Las Vegas, he became emotional. And cheers ensued from the grandstands instead of the customary boos.

It was almost as if the entire NASCAR community breathed as a single organism, rooting for Hamlin to win. No wonder a NASCAR fan on Reddit hailed Larson for his gesture, “Update: I am now a Kyle Larson fan that was so sweet of him.”

What is more, the entire audience stood up in unison to give Hamlin a standing ovation during his speech at the NASCAR Awards ceremony. All his family’s struggles, his racing ambitions, and championship dreams culminated in producing this moment.

All four Championship 4 drivers spoke at the NASCAR Awards ceremony, including Denny Hamlin. The 44-year-old confessed that he does not want to look at a race car. Yet during the ceremony, he gathered himself to savor the season, and especially his 60th race win. “Really a proud moment for myself, my team, and my family, just a great day. It was a good season, a great season—almost perfect.”

And this event set off ripples of goosebumps across the fan community.

Starry-eyed fans hail the drivers

While a large part of the fans were sad that Hamlin couldn’t win the elusive championship, Larson’s speech uplifted their mood.

• “I bought a Larson Indycar shirt because I’ll root for anyone who tries the double and now I’ll wear that because I kind of like Kyle Larson.”
• “Standing Ovation at the awards ceremony for Denny Hamlin. He deserved it 100%. It brought a tear to my eye :)”

The Hendrick Motorsports star just garnered more fans in the community! And another Reddit user pointed out the deep friendship that Larson shares with Hamlin.

• “They are good friends.”

That is true. In fact, after Larson won the championship, Hamlin, who was heartbroken about his own loss, had kind words for his friend. He also opined that Larson deserved to be the champion, although Hamlin led 208 of the 319 laps.

In fact, Hamlin was less than three laps away from winning the 2025 Cup Series title.

Further appeared the volley of jaw-dropping reactions from Denny Hamlin’s usual detractors. Usually known as NASCAR’s villain for his clashes with popular drivers, Hamlin turned into a sweetheart for them.

• “Even as a certified Denny Hater® his postrace interview was a tough watch.”
• “Still not a fan of Denny, I don’t think I ever will be. But sh-t, he DESERVES that cigar with his father.”

Evidently, the NASCAR community is feeling heavy with Denny Hamlin’s defeat. But since he has signed a contract extension through 2027, Hamlin indicated during the award ceremony that he will be back next season. Let’s hope that the JGR veteran will get it done then. But for now, the driver simply doesn’t want to get into a race car.