By Cole Cusumano

AVONDALE, Ariz. – “Loose is fast,” is an old adage used in racing regarding the balance of the car. But it could also prove to be a championship-winning mentality for NASCAR national series drivers vying for their respective 2025 titles at Phoenix Raceway.

Competing for championships across all professional sports comes with immeasurable stress and pressure to shoulder in trying to achieve history. While having the raw talent and a strong mental fortitude is necessary, there’s something about a confident nonchalance that’s been equally as important.

Over the last six years of covering NASCAR Championship Weekend at Phoenix, this reporter has observed that one can tell very early in the weekend which drivers will likely triumph – or at least be a strong contender – for the title.

Going back to 2020, there have been 13 different champions crowned across the three national series, and Championship 4 media day has typically served as a showcase for who should be favored.

Most everyone will refer to the numbers when predicting who will win the title, but there’s more to it than season-long statistics. More often than not, demeanor has been a massive determining factor in deciding a champion, via confidence, composure and calmness.

While it’s almost expected to be uptight when battling for a championship, many drivers who’ve won titles before are aware of the fact that loosening up often leads to success.

The only driver in the Championship 4 with a title under his belt in the NASCAR Cup Series is Kyle Larson. While he doesn’t believe his 2021 triumph gives him a serious competitive advantage over William Byron, Chase Briscoe or Denny Hamlin, he does feel the experience of having achieved the ultimate goal once before lessens the pressure of vying for another title.

“Maybe having a championship, you know what it feels like and that takes some pressure off of how big this event is and what it could mean to your career,” Larson said. “I think because I do have one already, I don’t overthink the week and the moment and all that. I’m not sure if [the other drivers] overthink it, but I would. I know how I felt in 2021 and I do feel different now.”

Having accomplished the ultimate goal four years ago, Larson has had a lot of time to reflect where was then and where he is now, on top of experiencing the final round of the Cup playoffs one more time since then, going into this weekend,

Reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ty Majeski echoed the same sentiments ahead of the finale at Phoenix, emphasizing the lack of stress in getting an opportunity to defend his title.

”I think there’s some pressure to get that first (title),” Majeski said. “You want to come here to compete and win at a high level, but I think that the disappointment – if you aren’t able to accomplish it – is a lot less than maybe what it would’ve been if you didn’t have one. I’m hungry for another, though. I’m excited to be here. I feel good. Very calm. I feel a lot less pressure than last year for that reason.”

Although Majeski was unable to replicate his triumph of yesteryear over Corey Heim, who won the championship by capturing a historic 12th victory in 2025, he led late in double overtime before finishing runner-up by less than one-second.

Justin Allgaier suffered a similar fate in his NASCAR Xfinity Series title defense, despite having the same revelation as the aforementioned former champions. He appeared well on his way to a second consecutive championship, leading a race-high 83 laps, but was unable to rebound from a blunder on the final pit stop of the evening. Instead, he placed fifth and Jesse Love went on to play spoiler for his first title.

“The only advantage that I probably have over the other three is that I’ve at least been in this scenario and I’ve dealt with the stresses and the processes and all the things that go with it,” Allgaier said. “But on the other side of it, you never really know how you’re gonna react in a game seven moment until you’ve lived it, right?

“These guys are going to find things out about themselves that they probably didn’t even know existed. They might unlock something in their own journey through this that makes them better. I think winning one last year has allowed me to be a lot more free and not as nervous. It’s funny, I’m coming into this weekend with no stress at all.”

With two champions crowned in the developmental ranks, that leaves the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race on Sunday, November 2 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

While Larson may be the only one with a title amongst the Championship 4 – and the self awareness to boot – there’s been one stand-out throughout the weekend with two decades of experience and immeasurable heartbreak that’s exhibiting all the qualities of a future champion: Denny Hamlin.

Hamlin had the fastest single-car speed of the drivers contending for the Bill France Cup in practice, posting the fifth-quickest time. He parlayed pace from Friday into his fifth pole of the season by more than two-tenths-of-a-second over Byron.

Throwing the numbers out the window, Hamlin easily came across as the most poised yet carefree at media day, which could’ve factored into his success on Friday and Saturday. While having speed on track obviously helped, he was also the life of the party on the dais featuring the Championship 4 drivers following qualifying.

While Byron, Larson and Briscoe began the press conference stone-faced and rather closed off, Hamlin was all smiles, cracking jokes with his competitors and the media members. This then loosened up the other three title contenders and sparked one of the most entertaining sessions in the deadline room all season.

All of this to say: A loose and light projection by Hamlin could very well lead to his first, elusive championship come Sunday.