For the second consecutive season, Chevrolet and Kyle Larson have earned the NASCAR Cup Series Championship, capturing the title following a fourth-place finish in Stage One of the season finale race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The championship marks a title-winning debut season for the latest edition Camaro ZL1 racecar, which made its competition debut at the start of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Chevrolet’s championship tradition spans nearly seven decades, with Larson’s crown extending that legacy to 35 driver championship titles in NASCAR’s premier series.
Larson is the 11th driver in history to earn the honors as a three-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion, while also becoming the first driver to win back-to-back titles since Jimmie Johnson’s run of five-straight from 2006 to 2010.
“Congratulations to Kyle Larson, Cliff Daniels and the entire No. 5 Chevrolet team on their third NASCAR Cup Series championship,” said Mark Reuss, president, General Motors. “Championships are earned through preparation, trust and execution, and this team demonstrated all three throughout the 2026 season. They stayed focused through adversity, and performed the best when it mattered most.”
Larson and the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team built their championship charge with a standout postseason, combining race-winning speed with sustained execution throughout the 10-race Chase. After entering the postseason as the seventh seed, Larson finished sixth or better in each of the opening six races, including victories at World Wide Technology Raceway and Kansas Speedway. His 2.83 average finish across that stretch ranked as the best six-race run in the series’ postseason history since the format was introduced in 2004. Following a setback performance at Phoenix Raceway, the team rebounded with a dramatic victory at Talladega Superspeedway, where Larson rallied from 11th on the final lap to earn his first drafting-track win. With a hard-fought ninth place finish at Martinsville Speedway, the Chevrolet driver took a 67-point lead to South Florida, setting the stage to mathematically clinch the title at the end of Stage One of the championship-deciding race.
Hendrick Motorsports’ 2026 championship extends its NASCAR Cup Series record to 16 driver titles, all earned under the Chevrolet banner. The organization captured its first championship with Jeff Gordon in 1995, launching a legacy that includes titles with five different drivers: Jimmie Johnson (seven), Jeff Gordon (four), Kyle Larson (three), Terry Labonte (one) and Chase Elliott (one).
“We also congratulate Rick and Linda Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Andrews, Chad Knaus and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports on the organization’s 16th NASCAR Cup Series championship,” added Reuss. “This achievement reflects the leadership and teamwork that are hallmarks of Hendrick Motorsports. We’re proud of our partnership and honored to celebrate another championship together.”
The NASCAR Cup Series will return to the track at Daytona International Speedway with the Wheatley Vodka Clash on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2027.
— Team Chevy —