The 2026 racing season officially reached its end Tuesday night as NASCAR’s three national-series champions were honored at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami.
Kyle Larson took center stage to celebrate his third NASCAR Cup Series championship, all of which have come during his six-year tenure with Hendrick Motorsports. He secured the title by finishing fourth in Stage 1 of the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, capping off a remarkable postseason run that included three victories, highlighted by a massive win in October at Talladega Superspeedway. Larson reflected on the No. 5 team's earlier struggles during the campaign, admitting that even he doubted his chances of taking the crown.
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Kaden Honeycutt was recognized for his dominant five-win campaign. Entering the year without a national-series victory to his name, the native Texan caught fire in the second half of the season, winning three Chase races—including the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway—to secure the title for the No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota team. Crew chief Scott Zipadelli claimed his third Truck Series title on Friday, marking his second in a row. Ford earned the Truck Series Manufacturer's Championship on the back of seven victories from Front Row Motorsports driver Layne Riggs.
Justin Allgaier was honored as the champion of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Alongside JR Motorsports co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. and crew chief Andrew Overstreet, Allgaier celebrated a career-best six-win campaign. The savvy veteran clinched the title on Saturday after surviving a tense battle against four other eligible drivers at Homestead, relying on a consistent stretch of five straight top-seven finishes to close out the year. General Motors accepted the O’Reilly Series Manufacturer’s Championship on behalf of Chevrolet, which dominated the year with 29 wins out of 33 events. Toyota Racing Development president Tyler Gibbs accepted the Cup Series Manufacturer’s Championship after Toyota claimed half of the 36 points-paying races.
The evening also brought deeply emotional moments, led by NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell, who paid tribute to the late Kyle Busch. Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion and the winningest driver in national-series history, died unexpectedly on May 21. O'Donnell offered a special shoutout to Samantha Busch, who attended the ceremony to reinforce that the Busch family remains a pillar of the sport. Later in the evening, Samantha accepted the Most Popular Driver Award on behalf of her late husband, presented by seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and National Motorsports Press Association president Holly Cain. Justin Allgaier and Layne Riggs took home Most Popular Driver honors for the O’Reilly Series and Truck Series respectively.
Comcast handed out the 2026 Comcast Community Champion Awards to Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle, marking the first time the prestigious honor went to co-recipients. The award recognized Kyle and Samantha Busch for founding the Bundle of Joy Fund to raise money to battle infertility, alongside Biffle—who died on December 16, 2025, in a plane crash—for using his personal helicopter in Hurricane Helene relief efforts. Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett later introduced country music artist Brett Young, who performed during a special ceremony dedicated to members of the NASCAR industry who passed away.
Additional rookie honors were handed out by NASCAR COO Ben Kennedy, recognizing Brenden Queen in the Truck Series, Brent Crews in the O’Reilly Series, and Connor Zilisch in the Cup Series. Fastest lap awards went to Honeycutt in trucks, Allgaier in the O'Reilly Series, and Denny Hamlin in the Cup Series. With the books officially closed on 2026, the countdown to the 2027 season is already underway.
