The agony of defeat saturated the air on pit road Sunday night at Phoenix Raceway.
It battled the tire smoke and the cheers from Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports as they celebrated the NASCAR Cup Series championship. It brought tears to the eyes of those wearing Joe Gibbs Racing logos, both men and women. It sat on the shoulders of others, crouched down, staring at the pavement or out into space.
And it was plain to see on the faces of Denny Hamlin, Chris Gayle, and the family and friends of a driver who has now spent 20 seasons trying and failing to win a Cup Series championship. No, it was not the first time a driver and team have lost a NASCAR race or championship, but perhaps never before, or in recent memory, has the disbelief, despondency, and dejection been so widespread and out in the open.
The agony of defeat in the air on Sunday night was heavy, obvious, and a story as big, if not bigger, than who won the championship. Anyone in the area could see it and feel it, and in some ways, not be affected by the moment.
Hamlin handled the events with more class than others might have shown. The 44-year-old fulfilled his media obligations on pit road, then spent time in the media center, where he answered every question, offering more emotion and quotes that will live on for years to come. Unfortunately for Hamlin, he became the example; the video clip that will be shown when trying to explain what it feels and looks like to come up short on the sport’s biggest stage.
“I really don’t have much emotion right now,” Hamiln said. “I’m just numb about it. Just in shock. That’s about it.”
Another notable Hamlin quote came in the form of, “Gosh, you work so hard, and this sport can drive you absolutely crazy because some speed, talent, all that stuff just does not matter.”
And perhaps the most notable and attention-grabbing one was when Hamlin said, “In this moment, I never want to race a car ever again. My fun meter is pegged.”
Even as he celebrated his own achievement, Larson said he felt sympathy for Hamlin. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
William Byron, who brought out the race-changing caution with four laps to go as Hamlin was leading, apologized to Hamlin and said the Joe Gibbs Racing driver deserved the championship. Byron is the teammate of the driver who went on to win the championship. And there were excellent quotes from Larson about the split emotions he felt as the other starring role in Sunday’s finish in being elated for himself and his team, but feeling bad for his rival and friend.
Rick Hendrick was ready to call Joe Gibbs and congratulate him before the final caution. Ryan Blaney, the race winner for Team Penske, also acknowledged the part of him that felt bad for Hamlin.
Agony. Joy. Empathy. So many emotions, so many players, and so much to digest.
Larson is a deserving Cup Series champion, and he and the No. 5 team should be given their flowers. Maybe in due time they will, after the raw emotions most are feeling for Hamlin subside. In the meantime, there should be absolutely no feelings about the right or wrong driver winning, nor that it was unjust or lucky.
No one driver, of the four who competed for the championship, deserved it more than another. As argued a week ago, all four were championship drivers and had put together seasons worthy of qualifying them to fight for the Bill France Cup at Phoenix.
There is no greater turn of unfortunate events than for one driver and team, in this case, Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing, to have one hand on the trophy only for it to be ripped away in the final minutes of the race. But life and sports are often unfair and downright cruel. Phoenix, however, was cruel and put many who had no dog in the fight – fans, media, other competitors, industry members, etc. – in a position to deal with emotions they didn’t expect to arise.
And to make matters worse, Sunday night capped off a weekend of disappointment for many about how the championship races played out across the board. Corey Heim, the most dominant driver in the Craftsman Truck Series this season, won the championship but needed late-race heroics to do it. Saturday night, Connor Zilisch, the most dominant driver in the Xfinity Series, came up short in his title quest, which left a bitter taste about the format. The format didn’t rob Hamlin on Sunday, but a third night of mixed emotions added to an already-sensitive weekend.
The good news, if there is any? It came on the last day of the season, giving everyone time to sit with their feelings before moving on. And everyone needs some time right now, because when a day is as heavy as Sunday’s, those emotions don’t go away quickly or easily.
