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Denny Hamlin saw his own title hopes end early at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday. Afterward, he had high praise for the driver who beat him, comparing three-time champion Kyle Larson to seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson.
Larson, 34, became the 11th driver in Cup Series history to win at least three titles. Hamlin, NASCAR’s winningest active driver, said the closest comparison is another Hendrick Motorsports great.
‘He’s This Generation’s Jimmie’
“I mean, just an exceptional talent,” Hamlin said of Larson. “He’s this generation’s Jimmie, right?
“I think that’s the only way you can kind of describe it. Just, you know, when it comes to playoff time, they perform their best, and that’s something that Jimmie used to do.
“And Jimmie was a guy that could get tons of speed out of the car. Kyle’s the same way. You could argue even more speed.
“There’s a little bit more variance in the results because of how hard he pushes it, but he reaps the benefits because he gets lots of wins, and that’s something.”
‘Just Drive the Car’
Hamlin said Larson has matured a lot over the last decade, and credited Hendrick for part of that.
“Certainly he’s going to be winning championships and races well beyond when I’m gone from here, but it’s been fun to really race against him and see how, really, he’s gotten better and matured over the last ten years on the racetrack.
“I remember many, many years ago I was studying some notes or something, and he was saying, ‘What are you doing all that for? Just drive the car.’
“And he moved over to Hendrick, and I think they made him start doing that stuff, and then you see the results.”
Can Larson Get to Seven?
Only three drivers have won seven Cup titles: Johnson, Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. Hamlin thinks Larson joining them is realistic, depending on how long he wants to keep racing.
“Yeah, I mean, it seems feasible. You don’t know how long he’s going to go, right? And so I think that matters. But, I mean, I think if he can get to 5 or 6 by 40, then he’s probably going to try to go all the way.
“So it’s certainly feasible, and they’re good enough to do it. He’s got, you know, one of the best teams in the garage, and he’s probably one of the best drivers, if not the best.”
Larson won titles in 2021, 2025 and 2026. Hamlin finished third in the final standings, 56 points back. Read what Hamlin said about missing the title.
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