Blown tire ends Byron's chances of winning NASCAR title

NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron (24) during the NASCAR Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Blown tire ends William Byron's chances of winning NASCAR title

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Nov 2, 2025 7:40 PM ET

For the third year in a row, William Byron made the Championship 4 but did not win the NASCAR Cup Series championship.

His fate appeared to be decided when Denny Hamlin executed an immaculate crossover move with 27 laps to go that shot Hamlin to the lead and relegated Byron to second on the track and in the championship standings.

With three laps to go, Byron became the story of Sunday's race for all the wrong reasons. Like so many of his peers, Byron suffered a tire issue with three laps to go that brought out the caution flag.

Byron is in the wall!

This may change everything! #Championship4 pic.twitter.com/4AgbfEa8V7
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 2, 2025

Byron's Hendrick Motorsports teammate in Kyle Larson went on to win the championship over Hamlin in NASCAR overtime, with Ryan Blaney winning the race. Byron finished 33rd, two laps down and fourth in the 2025 Cup Series standings.

Byron made the Championship 4 after a clutch performance at Martinsville Speedway one week ago. He'll go into 2026 with three consecutive Championship 4 appearances to his credit and as the two-time defending Daytona 500 winner — but not a Cup Series champion.

Still, there's plenty of reasons for optimism in the No. 24 camp going into 2026 as Byron looks to finally win a Cup Series championship.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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