Top 10 Most Heartbreaking Championship Losses in NASCAR History

Most Heartbreaking Championship Losses in NASCAR

Denny Hamlin lost the 2025 championship to Kyle Larson

10. Mark Martin – 1990 Cup Series

Mark Martin lost the championship by just 26 points after a 25-point penalty earlier in the season for a carburetor spacer violation — something his team insisted was unintentional. Without it, Martin would’ve been champion.

9. Carl Edwards – 2011 Cup Series

Edwards tied Tony Stewart in points after the finale — but lost the title on a tiebreaker, as Stewart had more wins. After leading the standings most of the year, Edwards walked away empty-handed.

8. Denny Hamlin – 2010 Cup Series

Hamlin led Jimmie Johnson by 15 points heading into the final race, but a poor pit strategy and pressure got to him. Johnson executed perfectly — stealing Hamlin’s first real shot at a title.

7. Jeff Gordon – 2007 Cup Series

Gordon was dominant all season, but NASCAR’s new Chase format reset the points, allowing teammate Jimmie Johnson to surge late and win. Gordon had 30 top-10s — the best average finish of his career — yet no title.

6. Ryan Newman – 2014 Cup Series

Newman came within half a second of a championship despite not winning a single race. If he’d passed Kevin Harvick on the final lap at Homestead, it would’ve been one of NASCAR’s biggest upsets ever.

5. Chase Elliott – 2023 Cup Series

Elliott fought back from missing races and made the Championship 4, only to suffer a pit road disaster at Phoenix that took him out of contention. A brutal end to a season-long redemption arc.

4. Rusty Wallace – 1993 Cup Series

Ten wins — more than anyone that year — but bad luck and DNFs cost Wallace a championship to Dale Earnhardt. Despite being the fastest car most weekends, consistency killed his shot.

3. Kevin Harvick – 2020 Cup Series

Harvick won nine races and the regular-season title, but one bad race at Martinsville eliminated him before the finale. The championship favorite never even got to fight for it.

2. Carl Edwards – 2016 Cup Series

Edwards was moments away from his first championship before a late restart crash at Homestead ended his night. His calm reaction and quiet walk to the hauler became one of NASCAR’s most haunting visuals.

1. Denny Hamlin – 2025 Cup Series

After years of near-misses, 2025 was supposed to be Hamlin’s year. He dominated Phoenix, led late, and was one restart away from finally winning the title… until Kyle Larson shattered his dream in NASCAR overtime. Hamlin called it “heartbreaking” — and after 20 years of trying, this might’ve been his last shot.