Denny Hamlin’s 2026 Title Miss Was A Systemic Failure

Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesDenny Hamlin led the entire 2026 season in points but failed to win the championship. He won four Cup Series races and started the playoffs as the top seed. Kyle Larson erased a 55-point deficit to take the title at Homestead. The season showed how the playoff format can override a driver’s full-year dominance.Hamlin finished the regular season with 1,372 total points, the highest in the field. Larson started the Chase 55 points behind Hamlin with zero regular-season wi