Kyle Larson wins 2026 NASCAR Cup championship with Stage 1 clinch at Homestead

Kyle Larson has done it, clinching the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series title by the end of Stage 1 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Tyler Reddick won the opening stage, while Kyle Larson placed fourth, scoring seven stage points. He was battling title rival Christopher Bell for third when the stage-ending caution flew for Chase Briscoe's engine failure.

Since Bell placed third in the stage, and Denny Hamlin sixth, Larson's P4 was enough for him to clinch the title mid-race.

He becomes just the 11th driver in NASCAR Cup Series history to win three championships, and the first to win back-to-back Cup titles since the end of Jimmie Johnson's historic five-year run in 2010.

This is also Hendrick Motorsports' 16th NASCAR Cup title, with Larson delivering Mr. H the crown in 2021, 2025, and now 2026.

There's still two-thirds of the Cup finale left to run, but it's all about the win now as Larson aims to collect his fourth win in the final ten Chase races. It's remarkable as he began the championship fight facing a winless streak that exceeded 50 races, but he's since gone on a tear with victories at Gateway, Kansas, and Talladega.

When told on the radio by crew chief Cliff Daniels that he was the champion, Larson simply replied: "Okay, that was a little anticlimactic, but that's cool. Good job, guys."

Rick Hendrick later got on the radio and told Larson: "Congrats, now you can ride the wall." The driver of the No. 5 had already brushed it early in the race, never really taking it easy while on his way to clinching the crown.

Kaden Honeycutt won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship on Friday, and Justin Allgaier won his second NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series title on Saturday.

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website .