In the concrete colosseum of Bristol Motor Speedway, where legends are made and rivalries forged, Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin added another chapter to what has become NASCAR’s most compelling current duel. After 500 laps of high-banked intensity that saw Larson fend off multiple challenges from a determined Hamlin, the Hendrick Motorsports star emerged victorious. But what happened after the checkered flag revealed more than just the finishing order – it exposed a rare admission of competitive vulnerability from one of NASCAR’s most confident drivers.
The Bristol showdown marked the seventh 1-2 finish between these two championship contenders, but with a significant twist. For the first time in this sequence, it was Larson standing in Victory Lane with Hamlin playing second fiddle. As Larson celebrated his 31st Cup victory and Bristol’s double-duty sweep, Hamlin was left contemplating what separated him from the winner’s circle.
No Answer for Larson’s Traffic Mastery
“When I got to him toward the second half of the race, probably about 200 to go, I’m thinking, you know, I think that I’m better than he is at this moment,” Hamlin revealed on Actions Detrimental Podcast. “But once we got into traffic, he could make moves that I couldn’t. I was more one-lane dominant than what he was.” This candid admission from Hamlin came after a race where Larson led an astounding 411 of 500 laps, consistently maintaining his position ahead of Hamlin despite several challenges. The two frontrunners distanced themselves from the rest of the field, turning the race into their own personal battle on NASCAR’s most physically demanding short track.
“I think that was the advantage that he had – just being able to navigate the traffic a little bit better than I was,” Hamlin continued, explaining how Larson’s versatility through Bristol’s multiple grooves proved decisive. “And was able to put cars between us there at the end of the race.” The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran described his meticulous approach to traffic, detailing how he evaluates options A, B, and C when approaching corners, analyzing where lapped cars might go. Despite this calculated strategy, Hamlin found himself watching Larson’s rear bumper disappear through traffic with seeming ease, demonstrating a level of car control that left even a 56-time Cup winner searching for answers.
The Bristol battle came at a pivotal moment in the 2025 season, with Denny Hamlin entering the weekend on a two-race winning streak after victories at Martinsville and Darlington. Larson’s triumph not only prevented Hamlin’s three-peat but also signalled the continuation of their championship collision course. “If Denny is in front of me, it could be a totally different story and be really hard to pass him, but glad to stop his three-peat,” Larson declared in his post-race interview, adding with a laugh and gesture toward the crowd, “We hate to see him win, as I’m sure you guys do, too.”
The comment didn’t go unnoticed by Hamlin, who fired back on his weekly podcast: “His post-race comments about keeping me from three in a row and we don’t like to see that and your fans don’t either, now I’m like, pi– on your triple — your sweep. I’m glad Chandler Smith beat you in the Truck race.” Though Hamlin quickly added, “It’s all good,” the exchange demonstrates the competitive fire that fuels their rivalry.
BRISTOL, TN – SEPTEMBER 17: Denny Hamlin (#11 Joe Gibbs Racing FedEx Ground Toyota) looks on during pre-race activities before the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Bass Pro Shops Night Race on September 17, 2022, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
With NASCAR metrics ranking Larson second and Hamlin third in overall performance this season, and six of the past nine Bristol Cup races going to one of these two drivers, fans can expect this rivalry to intensify as the championship battle heats up. For now, even Denny Hamlin must acknowledge what Bristol fans witnessed firsthand – when it comes to threading through traffic on NASCAR’s most challenging short track, Kyle Larson currently has no equal.
Although Larson had a field day at Thunder Valley, NASCAR’s biggest flaw was once again out in the open. While the HMS fans celebrated their driver and team’s victory, the race was nothing short of a snooze-fest. There’s a reason why TV cameras only showed the No. 5 and the No. 11 car as there wasn’t much happening in the race. The tire fall off? Well, it was almost absent, which in turn allowed Larson to carve up the gap, leading the race pretty much uncontested.
The Next-Gen Problem: Racing’s Parity Paradox
Hamlin’s candid assessment of Larson’s traffic navigation prowess comes amid larger concerns about NASCAR’s Next-Gen car creating what he calls a “problematic under-belly” in the sport. While Larson showed exceptional skill threading through traffic at Bristol, Hamlin believes the car itself is part of the issue. “I don’t know what we expect. This is the car we built,” Hamlin stated on his podcast. “This is what ownership of NASCAR wanted. They wanted to build a sports car, and we’re gonna race this sports car on all these different tracks, and it just doesn’t race well.”
The statistics from Bristol support Hamlin’s frustration – lap times were remarkably close, with leader Larson running 16-second laps while cars as far back as 32nd position were just a tenth off that pace. Even Ryan Blaney, matching Larson’s speed, remained hopelessly trapped five positions behind. “You’ve made the drivers the same, you’ve made the cars the same, and now everyone runs the same speed. But now what? These are the unintended consequences you have with parity,” Denny Hamlin explained, pointing to the mere four lead changes throughout the 500-lap race as evidence of the problem.
NASCAR legend Richard Petty has echoed similar sentiments, advocating for increased horsepower to bring driver skill back to the forefront. “The way to make it more exciting is to give them more horsepower. Let them run faster. The faster they go, the harder the driver must remain on his toes,” Petty remarked after the 2025 Daytona 500. While Hamlin has pushed for a return to 750 or even 900 horsepower engines and a shift to over-body downforce, he admitted there’s “nothing on the horizon” from NASCAR leadership regarding these changes. This leaves drivers like Larson and Hamlin to rely on their exceptional talents to overcome the limitations of equipment. But it’s fair to say that parity racing could lead to the downfall of short-track racing. We’ve already seen that happen with Richmond Raceway losing one of its dates.
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