Phoenix was a rollercoaster with Kyle Larson securing his 2nd Cup Series championship despite a day where his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was, by his own admission, “an average car at best.” The driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was two laps down and nearly done after a right-front tire failure on Lap 216 forced an unscheduled pit stop. However, a strategic masterclass from crew chief Cliff Daniels saw the team battle back, capitalizing on a late caution with 3 laps remaining. The No. 5 team opted for a crucial two-tire change, leap-frogging Denny Hamlin on the restart grid, shockingly never leading a single lap in the finale, and still finding themselves in the victory lane.

The victory served as a strange culmination to what was a strong but turbulent 2025 se

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