“It’s just not meant to be,” Denny Hamlin sighed, his voice breaking as he leaned against the pit wall under the Phoenix lights. The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship had slipped through his fingers. Again! After leading late and looking poised to finally capture the title that has haunted his career, one caution and a pit-road gamble left him watching Kyle Larson celebrate instead.

But for Hamlin, it wasn’t just another defeat; it was déjà vu of the cruelest kind. And the way it all unfolded (the dominance, the twist of fate, the heartbreak) drew an uncanny sense of familiarity. For many, Hamlin’s latest collapse echoed another unforgettable moment in NASCAR history: the painful downfall of Carl Edwards.

NASCAR fans compare Denny Hamlin’s 2025 loss to Carl Edwards’ 2016

Fans are dr

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