Home » Sports » NASCAR

Denny Hamlin loses more ground to Kyle Larson: “We’ve got to execute better”

A pit road penalty and fading long-run speed left Hamlin fifth at Charlotte, dropping him 49 points behind Larson despite finishing one place ahead

By Nick DeGroot · Yahoo Sports

Published: Monday, 12 October 2026 at 12:36 AM

Key Things to Know

Denny Hamlin admitted his team must execute better as his championship deficit behind Kyle Larson grew to 49 points.
Hamlin finished fifth at Charlotte Motor Speedway despite pit-road penalties and contact with Larson.
Chase Briscoe won the race by 0.029 seconds over Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Denny Hamlin admitted his team must execute better after losing ground to NASCAR Cup Series Chase leader Kyle Larson at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Despite securing a fifth-place finish ahead of Larson in sixth, Hamlin saw his championship deficit grow to 49 points following pit-road issues and late-race contact between the two title rivals.

Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe won the Bank of America 400 in a photo finish over Christopher Bell by 0.029 seconds. With only four races remaining, Hamlin experienced pit-road trouble and fading speed, though Larson also took blame for the on-track collision.

Read the full article on Yahoo Sports

Denny Hamlin loses more ground to Kyle Larson: “We’ve got to execute better”

More Nascar News

Never Miss a Sports Update