Last weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series finale at Phoenix was pure heartbreak for Denny Hamlin. After leading a race-high 208 laps and looking like he finally had his first championship in hand, a late caution for William Byron’s flat tire flipped the script. On the overtime restart, Kyle Larson, who hadn’t led any lap all day, took just two tires, jumped ahead, and maintained a steady lead over Hamlin to clinch his second Cup title.

For Hamlin, it was the most crushing “so close” moment in a career full of near-misses, leaving fans and even rivals feeling for him. Larson himself admitted that Hamlin’s loss has shifted the public sentiment on the latter’s side, overturning his villain image. Suddenly, Hamlin has become the hero of NASCAR. So the question is, who should take the villain’s place? Naturally, the guy who beat him. But is he ready for it?

Larson sidesteps as Hamlin wins hearts

Kyle Larson was put on the spot during his appearance on the Rubbin’ Is Racing podcast when co-hosts asked if he’d be willing to “pick up the black hat,” jokingly adding, “Will Kyle Larson become Kyle Larceny?” It was a fun jab, but one that sparked a real conversation about NASCAR’s shifting fan dynamics.

Larson didn’t bite, offering a thoughtful answer instead. “I think it takes a moment where you got to get into somebody that the fans like,” he said, acknowledging that NASCAR’s “villain” status isn’t something you can plan. It happens when tempers flare and rivalries ignite. Just look at how Kyle Busch built his “Rowdy” persona or how Ross Chastain became polarizing almost overnight after aggressive run-ins in 2022.

Larson used that point to pivot toward Denny Hamlin, NASCAR’s longtime lightning rod for boos and cheers alike. “But I think after the heartbreak of this weekend for him, he’s probably won over a lot of fans because of it too,” Larson said. He was referring to Hamlin’s gut-wrenching loss in the 2025 Championship race at Phoenix, his fifth Championship 4 appearance from where he returned home yet without a title.

That moment, raw, emotional, and frustrating, reminded fans how much Hamlin still wants it. Much like when Dale Earnhardt kept coming up short before his 1998 Daytona 500 win, that kind of heartbreak can change how fans see a driver.

Larson went on to admit that Hamlin might finally be feeling a shift in public sentiment. “He’s probably feeling much more welcome than he’s been, you know, for a while,” Larson added. And that’s true. After years of being cast as the “bad guy,” Hamlin has slowly rebuilt his image.

His honesty on his Actions Detrimental podcast, plus his openness about ownership challenges with 23XI Racing and friendship with Michael Jordan, have helped him connect more deeply with fans. Even Hamlin himself said earlier this year that the boos aren’t as loud anymore: “I used to get booed every week. Now it’s kind of mixed. That’s a win.”

Larson also took a step back to give Hamlin some real credit for what he brings to the table. “He’s great for the sport,” Larson said. “He really probably does the most to promote our sport these days.” It’s hard to argue.

Hamlin’s outspoken nature and involvement in team business have made him one of the sport’s most important voices, especially in ongoing discussions about the next charter agreement and driver equity. As NBC Sports noted in 2024, Hamlin has become “the rare driver who’s both competitor and advocate,” blending old-school grit with modern transparency.

Finally, Larson closed his comments by saying Hamlin deserves the support he’s getting at this point in his career. “It’s deserving of people rooting for him, especially at this age and where he’s at now.”

At 44, Hamlin is still chasing his first Cup Series title despite racking up 60 career wins, the most by any active driver without a championship. That stat alone has transformed him from the villain fans once jeered into a kind of sympathetic underdog.

So, did Kyle Larson take up the “black hat”? Not quite. However, his answer revealed a great deal about how he views NASCAR’s storytelling aspect, that heroes and villains aren’t assigned, but rather created by the moments that move fans. And for now, it seems Larson is just fine letting Hamlin keep the spotlight, boos, cheers, and all.

Even after the villain tag slips, Hamlin’s heartbreak hangs.

Martin backs Hamlin

Mark Martin has faith Denny Hamlin won’t pull a Carl Edwards despite a heartbreaking 2025 finale. In a recent conversation alongside his son Matt Martin and Kenny Wallace, the NASCAR Hall of Famer drew parallels between Edwards’ 2016 heartbreak and Hamlin’s latest close call, while insisting that the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran still has fight left in him.

“Carl left the sport in a way that just left me in awe. But we will see where Denny is now. I believe he can come back in 26 and contend for the championship again. I also believe that 2025 was his year,” Martin said.

“Denny and his team did the work, put the work in, whooped everybody’s a**. I mean, anytime he wanted, he could pull out to a 3-second lead. He did it all. And then, because in the name of entertainment, all these different things, points, resets, this, that, and the other, overtime finishes, whatever, something happens, and it slips through their fingers, and it tears everybody’s heart up. It’s not really a flaw in the system. It’s just that dog on it, you really wanted the guy that earned it, the guy that dominated the race, they did the work.”

Hamlin’s run at Phoenix was the stuff of champions. He started on pole, led two-thirds of the race, and controlled nearly every phase until the late caution turned the tide. To do that when it matters, that’s hard, Martin admitted.

Because the #11 team did it all, their defeat was just heart-wrenching. He believes the biggest test for Hamlin now lies off the track, how he processes the loss, regroups, and decides whether to chase glory one more time. He understands that Hamlin is going to be challenged on how he handles this mentally and if he can come back and give NASCAR and the fans another season at 45 years old, although it gets harder every year.

For Edwards, the pain and the politics of modern NASCAR, particularly the late-race cautions and the sport’s growing tilt toward entertainment, made him question whether it was worth staying in the game. And a culmination of those things became the breaking point for the former driver.

But with the #11 JGR driver, the outlook is different. His experience and love for competition have always set him apart. Even as disappointment weighs heavily, many around the garage believe the No. 11 driver will find his footing again and return to chase the championship that has eluded him for over two decades. So, for Denny Hamlin, this might not be the end of the road, just another bend on the path back to redemption.