Carson Hocevar puts Denny Hamlin’s NASCAR championship ‘heartbreak’ into perspective

For Denny Hamlin, the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season ended in heartbreak. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver, despite having an otherwise stellar career, failed to capture the championship yet again. He is the longest-tenured driver in the series without a championship.

However, Carson Hocevar, who just wrapped his sophomore season in the Cup Series, looked at the bright side of the situation. He was happy that Kyle Larson won the title, given the alliance between Hendrick Motorsports and Spire Motorsports.

In an exclusive interview with Express US Sports, Hocevar said,

“For me, myself and our team, obviously, it's good for Hendrick to win, Chevy to win and everything."

Hocevar then revealed how he thought Denny Hamlin’s championship loss was a good thing for the sport. He continued,

“I think for the sport's sake, it's important to have close finishes. And at times, heartbreaks can drive ratings or make people hungrier and excited to watch.”

Everything was going well for Hamlin until that late caution came out when William Byron crashed at Phoenix. The Tampa, Florida native took four fresh tires on the following pit stop, restarting in ninth. But Larson restarted fifth and captured a P3 finish, highest among the championship contenders.

Denny Hamlin was visibly frustrated. After all, he was the pole sitter and led a race-high 208 of 319 laps. Whereas Larson, who didn’t lead a single lap, had the last laugh. Ahead of the 2025 NASCAR Awards, Hamlin said,

“I have a contract to (race), but at this point, there's just absolutely no way that I would even — I don't even think about a race car right now. I'm going to need some time on this one.”

"The good news is the banquet is two weeks earlier, so the offseason is a little bit longer. But I'll get over it. It’s just going to take a minute,” he added.

Denny Hamlin is currently in his off-season, with his eyes set on the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 1, 2026. Despite being a non-points race, winning the Clash might just boost Hamlin’s momentum for the 68th Daytona 500, which is scheduled for February 15. The 500-mile event is actually the first points race of the season.

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“I would have begged Joe to let me quit”- Denny Hamlin revealed how his 2025 championship bid could have ended differently

Denny Hamlin admitted on his Actions Detrimental podcast that he would have signed up for retirement had he won the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship. The JGR-driver thought it would have been the perfect end to his long and illustrious career.

Despite hi best efforts, Denny Hamlin fell short of winning the title. Had he won, the driver said he would have opted for retirement even though his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing keeps him in the No. 11 through 2026.

“I would’ve begged Joe to let me quit had I won that race,” Denny Hamlin explained. “It would have just been the perfect way for me to go out. But they’re not ready for that yet. They have to have time to work on my succession plan.”

All eyes are now on Bowman Gray Stadium for the 2026 Cook Out Clash. Fans can watch the race live on FOX starting from 8 pm ET, or listen to exclusive radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Notably, Hamlin has won the Clash four times throughout his NASCAR career.