“Man, if you can’t win that one,” Hamlin told NBC Sports’ Dave Burns after coming up short in his fifth Championship 4 appearance, “I don’t know which one you can win.”

Ryan Blaney finally broke through for his first win at the 1-mile track, but Kyle Larson stole the show in surviving an exhilarating overtime finish to become a two-time champion.

Hamlin driving to the front happened over and over again, to the point where it was abundantly clear who had the best car, and which driver executed when the lights were brightest at Phoenix Raceway....