Kyle Larson did not need to win the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway to become NASCAR’s champion. He did not even need to lead a lap. By the end of the opening stage, the title was already his, with around 190 laps still remaining. The crowd had a race to watch, but the championship had lost its biggest question. That was when Kenny Sargent took aim at fans who had backed NASCAR’s new direction.

“This is what you wanted, man. This is what you wanted, all you freaking Kool-Aid drinkers. This is what you wanted. Kyle Larson deserved to win this championship without any doubt, any doubt. He’s the best driver when he needed to be. Best driver champions step up when the pressure heats up. That’s exactly what he did.”

Speaking on SpeedFreaks, Sargent addressed an awkward outcome for NASCAR’s latest championship experiment. The sport had spent 12 seasons using elimination rounds and a winner-take-all Championship 4. For 2026, it brought back The Chase: 16 drivers, 10 races, one points reset and no further eliminations. The driver with the most points after Homestead would become champion.

NASCAR wanted consistency to matter across a longer stretch, without making race victories less valuable. A Cup win was now worth 55 points, while stage points remained available. The idea was to reward performance throughout the postseason rather than let one bad afternoon decide everything. Yet that same points structure meant the finale could become a formality before the race was halfway done.

Larson arrived at Homestead ahead of his remaining challengers, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin. He needed nine points to clinch. Tyler Reddick won Stage 1, but Larson finished fourth and collected seven points. Bell finished third and Hamlin sixth. The combination was enough to put the championship beyond their reach. Larson’s third Cup title, and second consecutive championship, was settled before Lap 80.

That is where Sargent’s frustration becomes interesting. He was not arguing that Larson had stolen the title. He said quite the opposite. But a season finale is supposed to be the day when the season’s biggest fight reaches its conclusion. At Homestead, that conclusion arrived while the main event was still unfolding.

“What was the incentive for me to stick around and watch them crown a dude who’s basically already been crowned?”

There was still a proper race happening. Hamlin led a race-high 87 laps, while Reddick led 53. Ryan Blaney, who was outside the championship fight, chased Reddick down and passed him with two laps remaining. He won by 0.314 seconds, taking his fourth victory of the season. It was a thrilling finish, but the championship had already been decided.

Sargent actually found the post-race celebration more rewarding than the racing itself.

“I enjoyed more of the post-race than I did the entire race. I did. I enjoyed the family, the humanity of it, the humility of Kyle Larson trying to pick up a trophy that weighed twice his weight.”

That leaves NASCAR with an uncomfortable question. The Chase gave Larson a championship earned across 10 races, rather than a single winner-take-all showdown. He had delivered when the pressure was highest. But the sport also needs its championship finale to feel like an event worth watching until the end. Larson got his third title. NASCAR still has to win over the people watching.