With so little time to run down Larson, Hamlin came up short with a sixth-place finish as Larson was third. Ryan Blaney, who was eliminated from title contention last week, won the race. It is the second championship for Larson, who won his first title in 2021 when he joined Hendrick Motorsports.

Jamie McMurray was able to race 16 full-time seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series and become a broadcaster in the aftermath of that run. With that said, he has a sincere career regret. "I wish I could do everything backwards, and what I mean by that is I wish ...

Hamlin, Briscoe and then Byron all won to earn their spots in the field, while Larson failed to win in the playoffs and earned the final berth through points. Even so, he likes how the No. 5 Chevrolet is running the last nine week and likes his chances Sunday.