NASCAR Cup Series Winner 2021: Kyle Larson Tops Final Playoffs Standings and Grid

After a first-place finish at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, Kyle Larson was crowned the winner of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Championship. It was Larson's 10th win of the 2021 season.

The Championship 4 of Larson, Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin battled it out atop the leaderboard for much of the race. But Larson was able to take the lead on the last lap off pit road after a late restart.

Truex Jr. finished second, 0.398 seconds behind Larson. Hamlin and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top four. Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion, finished in fifth.

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2021 NASCAR Cup Series Standings (Top 16)

1. Kyle Larson
2. Martin Truex Jr.
   
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Chase Elliott
5. Kevin Harvick
6. Brad Keselowski
   
7. Ryan Blaney
8. Joey Logano
9. Kyle Busch
10. William Byron
11. Kurt Busch
12. Christopher Bell
13. Tyler Reddick
14. Alex Bowman
15. Aric Almirola
16. Michael McDowell

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Ending a Year of Dominance

After entering the year with six career wins, Larson capped a dominant run in 2021 with his first career Cup Series championship. He became the 17th driver to win eight or more times in a single season.

The 29-year-old No. 5 driver had victories at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway. He also won the All-Star Race at Texas Motor Speedway. He held off his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Elliott for a win at Watkins Glen International over the summer. Larson added another three wins in the playoffs (Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Roval, Texas Motor Speedway).

Larson was suspended after he used a racial slur while competing in an iRacing event during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in April 2020. NASCAR reinstated him in October 2020. Larson agreed in July to a contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports through 2023.

NASCAR will return for the 2022 season with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20.