Kyle Larson clinches NASCAR Cup Series championship

Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kyle Larson clinches NASCAR Cup Series championship after Stage 1 at Homestead

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Nov 8, 2026 4:25 PM ET

Just one stage into Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kyle Larson clinched the 2026 championship.

Larson entered Sunday needing only nine points to clinch the title and finished fourth in Stage 1. With Christopher Bell or Denny Hamlin not winning the stage, however, Larson was able to clinch the title early and can now race hard without risk over the final two stages of the race.

"That's cool," Larson said over the radio.

Larson is a two-time Homestead winner, winning the most recent Cup race at the 1.5-mile Florida track in 2025.

A CHASE RUN FOR THE AGES! @KyleLarsonRacin is a three-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion! https://t.co/WMVQd8J1YK
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 8, 2026

Larson blew the championship wide open with his win at Talladega. Prior to Talladega Larson was the points leader, but only by five points over Bell. Seven drivers were within 56 points of the lead with three races left in the season.

Larson's Talladega victory and a solid run at Martinsville put him in a position to clinch early at Homestead.

Stage 1 rundown

The first stage of Sunday's race was shortened by three laps after polesitter Chase Briscoe, who lost track position after a slow pit stop, blew an engine down the frontstretch. The caution initially saved Bell, who was in a heated battle with Larson for third, from being passed by his championship rival, though the championship was clinched anyway.

Tyler Reddick won the stage, with Ryan Blaney finishing second. Fellow title contender Denny Hamlin finished sixth in the stage and, like Bell, has also been eliminated.

Coverage of Sunday's race can be found on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from Arkansas, the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorbacks basketball. He's a member of the National Motorsports Press Association and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Samuel attends the University of Arkansas.

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