Last weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series finale at Phoenix was pure heartbreak for Denny Hamlin. After leading a race-high 208 laps and looking like he finally had his first championship in hand, a late caution for William Byron’s flat tire flipped the script. On the overtime restart, Kyle Larson, who hadn’t led any lap all day, took just two tires, jumped ahead, and maintained a steady lead over Hamlin to clinch his second Cup title.

For Hamlin, it was the most crushing “so close” moment in a career full of near-misses, leaving fans and even rivals feeling for him. Larson himself admitted that Hamlin’s loss has shifted the public sentiment on the latter’s side, overturning his villain image. Suddenly, Hamlin has become the hero of NASCAR. So the question is, who should take the villain’s place?

See Full Page