Pit This Time may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never affects our coverage. Learn more.
Bubba Wallace isn’t buying the argument that the Chase handed Kyle Larson the 2026 championship.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s NASCAR Awards in Miami, the 23XI Racing driver said Larson’s No. 5 team simply outperformed everyone when it counted.
“You can’t fault the guy for having a stellar postseason, and you can’t blame the Chase on that,” Wallace said. “Like, when it was time to deliver, no one delivered like the five team. And they stunk up the show, and we have to deal with that.”
https://x.com/Motorsport/status/2120234614820385263
‘There’s No Flukes’
Wallace said fans who don’t like the outcome should accept that the format did what it was supposed to do.
“I think the fans have to deal with that because that’s what you want. You want your best guys coming forward at the end of the season, and you want to crown the best racer at the end of the year, right? There’s no flukes. They had the best postseason. And they’re the champion. So it’s the most deserving. So, you know, you’re not going to appease everybody.”
Hamlin: ‘Did the First Twenty-Six Really Matter?’
Larson went winless in the regular season and entered the Chase as the No. 7 seed. He then won three of the 10 Chase races and clinched the title in Stage 1 at Homestead.
Wallace’s team co-owner, Denny Hamlin, won four regular-season races and the regular-season title, then finished third. Hamlin has praised Larson, but questioned what the regular season is worth under the current format.
“I think what this year taught me the most is that maybe I don’t have to grind so hard as in the regular season,” Hamlin said. “Like, I really did. I worked so hard for thirty-six straight weeks, and it was like, did the first twenty-six really matter that much, you know?”
https://x.com/bobpockrass/status/2120190734284304809
Kenny Wallace: ‘Did He Get Lucky? Hell No’
Larson’s titles have drawn criticism before. In 2025, he won the championship at Phoenix after a late caution and a pit strategy call while Hamlin was leading. Kenny Wallace pushed back on the idea that Larson got lucky in that one, too.
“Last year, Kyle Larson won the championship in a complete different format. Did he get lucky? Hell no,” Kenny Wallace said on his YouTube channel. “His crew chief said two tires, so he took two tires. Denny Hamlin’s crew chief said four tires. Denny Hamlin took four tires. And that is the difference between Kyle Larson winning the championship last year and Denny Hamlin not.”
Larson won this year’s title by 49 points over Christopher Bell, with Hamlin 56 back. It was his third Cup championship and the 16th for Hendrick Motorsports.
Leave a Reply