SPEED with Harvick and Buxton
SPEED with Harvick and Buxton

Is Larson's Wreck the BIGGEST Moment of the NASCAR Season? | SPEED

October 20, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Phoenix Shakes Up the NASCAR Playoffs as Talladega Looms

Kyle Larson entered the weekend at Phoenix as the overwhelming championship favorite, holding a 56-point cushion over the field with just three races remaining. He left with three points. A flat right-front tire ended his day early, and in one afternoon the entire playoff picture was blown wide open. As Kevin Harvick put it, "crappy day comparatively for Larson, brilliant day for us as fans because it's back on."

The Points Race Collapses

Larson's miserable weekend — Hendrick cars in general lacked speed at Phoenix — brought everyone back into contention. Christopher Bell sits just five points behind Larson. Denny Hamlin also had a brutal day: a car that couldn't lead laps, a flat tire after fighting back toward the front, and a pit-road speeding penalty that cost him the wave-around. Remarkably, Hamlin actually gained points on the leader despite his bad finish, simply because Larson's day was worse.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (01:26) **Opening and Weekend Overview** - Harvick and Buxton set up a wild Phoenix weekend that tightened the NASCAR Cup Series playoff picture.
  • 2 (02:25) **Tyler Reddick's Return to Victory Lane** - Reddick wins at Phoenix, his first victory in 23 races, revitalizing his championship hopes.
  • 3 (06:59) **Denny Hamlin's Disastrous Day** - Hamlin suffers a blown tire and pit-road speeding penalty, but gains on Larson due to Larson's even worse finish.
  • 4 (08:49) **The Tightening Title Fight** - Christopher Bell emerges as a quiet threat, and Talladega looms as a massive wild card.
  • 5 (11:58) **Talladega Preview and New Rules Package** - A significant rules change for Talladega adds uncertainty, with no practice before the race.
  • 6 (13:42) **Voicemail: NASCAR Drivers in Other Series** - A fan asks which three NASCAR drivers would excel in other racing disciplines like WRC, F1, or IndyCar.
  • 7 (18:53) **Xfinity Series: Jesse Love Dominates** - Jesse Love wins at Phoenix, proving his talent and putting RCR in a strong position as he moves to Cup.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Kevin Harvick Will Buxton

Show Notes

Kevin Harvick and Will Buxton return to react to an action-packed week across motorsports! Kyle Larson's poor Phoenix performance has blown the NASCAR Chase for the Championship wide open with just three races remaining! Tyler Reddick is back in Victory Lane, Denny Hamlin is dealing with more issues, and Christopher Bell might just win the whole thing. We break down all the NASCAR action from Phoenix and look ahead to Talladega, where anything can happen. Plus, we cover Max Verstappen’s GTWC Europe stint, F1’s return to Africa, Rafael Câmara joining Haas, and a preview of the United States Grand Prix at COTA. We also dive into INDYCAR's new IR-28 testing, answer fan voicemail questions, check out Social Speedway, and award our SPEED Driver of the Week! Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 00:45 - NASCAR Phoenix Recap 03:38 - Tyler Reddick is Back! 06:12 - Denny Hamlin Issues Continue 08:15 - Chase is Back On! Bell Moves Up 10:06 - NASCAR Heads to Talladega 12:45 - Fan Voicemail - Which NASCAR drivers would be best in other global racing series? 17:58 - NOAPS Phoenix Recap 19:40 - Kaitlyn Vincie Waves the Green Flag at NASCAR Truck Race 21:10 - Craftsman Truck Series Action at Phoenix 22:30 - Max Verstappen & GTWC Europe 25:53 - F1 returns to Africa 27:10 - Rafa Camara joins Haas 29:10 - F1 US Grand Prix at COTA Preview 31:52 - INDYACAR IR-28 Testing 32:54 - Josh Pierson INDYCAR license reaction 40:17 - Sending Love to Jack Harvey 41:21 - WEC: 6 Hours of Barcelona 44:15 - Social Speedway 50:07 - Around the Racing World 1:01:24 - Driver of the Week 1:03:17 - Final Lap All your FOX favorites. All in one app. FOX Sports is now streaming on FOX One. Try 7 days free today #WeLiveForLive - https://www.fox.com/ Fueled by https://www.poet.com/ The Official Home for Streaming on FOX: https://www.fox.com/ #SPEED #NASCAR #INDYCAR #F1 #MOTOGP #racing #kevinharvick #willbuxton Major NASCAR Chase Shakeup! Tyler Reddick Wins & Kyle Larson Struggles | SPEED https://www.youtube.com/@SPEEDonFOX

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