NASCAR News: Kyle Larson has near zero chance of winning Cup title

Kyle Larson’s paper-thin points lead is a mirage, and the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series championship is all but decided against him. Toyota’s powerhouse alliance of Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing has controlled the season from the opening Daytona 500 onward, and Sunday’s Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway exposed the limits of an overrated Hendrick Motorsports driver who has been living on earlier good fortune. –by Mark Cipolloni– Larson entered Phoenix as the Chase leader with a 49-point cushion. He left it clinging to a five-point edge over Christopher Bell, with Chase Briscoe 24 back, Denny Hamlin 31 behind,…