“You hate that for somebody”: Ken Schrader reflects on William Byron’s apology to Denny Hamlin after NASCAR championship heartbreak

Denny Hamlin’s long pursuit of a NASCAR Cup Series title came to another painful halt at Phoenix, where fate intervened in the final laps of the 2025 Championship Race. After leading 208 of 312 laps and controlling nearly every stage, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver saw a dominant evening collapse under a late caution.

A puncture on William Byron’s car with three laps left brought the field together, forcing overtime. Hamlin, who had a lead of over three seconds by then, pitted for four fresh tires while many others gambled on two or stayed out. The call dropped him to 11th for the restart, and though he climbed back to sixth, it wasn’t enough.

Kyle Larson, on two tires, surged through the pack to win his second Cup Series championship. For Hamlin, it was another runner-up finish - his fifth Championship 4 defeat. Kenny Wallace reviewed the race on his Herm & Schrader podcast and pointed to William Byron’s post-race gesture.

“So, William Byron comes to sit down next to Denny Hamlin two hours after the race... and says, ‘Man, I am so sorry’... He said, ‘Denny was going to win, I'm going to run second. This is a heartbreak. I took the championship away from him,” Wallace said. (10:40 onwards)

When asked about William Byron’s gesture, veteran driver Ken Schrader shared a perspective shaped by decades in the garage.

“You put your heart and soul in it. They know what it takes. They know the situation everybody’s in,” Schrader said. “And yes, his teammate (Kyle Larson) won the championship because of that flat tire... He (Byron) went from second to fourth in points because of his flat tire. But Denny went from more than likely being the champion... to not. And you hate that for somebody, especially with Denny’s story.”

Denny Hamlin entered the finale as the clear favorite, starting from the pole and leading 208 of the 312 laps until that untimely caution. Once the yellow flew on Lap 309, decisions on pit road decided the title. Brad Keselowski, Ryan Preece, and Ryan Blaney stayed out while Larson and others took two tires, while Hamlin’s four-tire stop left him buried in traffic.

“There’s some good guys out there,” Schrader added (12:13 onwards). “Those drivers - they’re basically good people. They wouldn’t have got where they are if they were bad people.”

Despite the heartbreak, Hamlin joined the championship celebration briefly to congratulate Larson - a gesture that surprised many, including Larson.

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“Denny lost the championship”: Ken Schrader on Denny Hamlin's title loss to Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson (5) finishes before Denny Hamlin (11) to win the Cup Series Championship. Source: Imagn

For Denny Hamlin, the Phoenix defeat joins a long list of close calls, including the 2010 heartbreak against Jimmie Johnson, and now another lost chance at age 44. With 60 career wins, he remains the winningest driver in Cup history without a title, a number that grows heavier with each passing season.

Reflecting on the race, Ken Schrader emphasized the loss:

“There’s a difference between winning the championship and someone losing the championship. Denny lost the (championship)... not because of manipulation or anything, but because an unbelievable late-race circumstance took it from him.” (12:57 onwards)

After the race, the emotional weight of Denny Hamlin’s heartbreak became clear. Standing beside his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, visibly drained, he was comforted by crew chief Chris Gayle, partner Jordan Fish, and his two daughters.