Two weeks ago, Denny Hamlin flipped his ‘villain’ reputation. The customary boos of the grandstands turned into roaring cheers as fans celebrated his Martinsville win. The teardrops rolling down his face symbolized two decades of struggle and a year’s worth of lawsuits and family crisis. So people wanted him, the championship-less 60-time Cup race winner, to get it. Sadly, that wish simply stayed in their hearts – as Kyle Larson got away with the title.

The NASCAR Cup Series championship race was flagged off pompously at Phoenix Raceway. From the glitzy appearance of Hollywood star Sydney Sweeney to country music hitmaker Jordan Davis undertaking Grand Marshal duties, it was a star-studded affair. And this glamorous event left people biting their nails – with only one winner in the end.

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