Kyle Larson continues his impressive season in the NASCAR Playoffs, winning the Bank of America Roval 400 last Sunday in Charlotte. His victory secures him a spot in the Round of 8, marking his second elimination race win this season.
A dominant performance by Larson in Charlotte
From the restart on lap 62, Larson maintained absolute control of the race. He led 62 of the last 82 laps on the 2.28-mile, 17-turn course, leaving the rest of the field far behind. Christopher Bell was the only driver who could keep up, finishing 1.511 seconds behind, while William Byron, another Hendrick Motorsports teammate, finished third, more than 8 seconds behind the leader.
Tyler Reddick faces a tough battle
Tyler Reddick, who started 26th after a restart on lap 84, staged a crucial comeback to stay alive in the Playoffs. Despite an incident on lap 30 involving his teammate Denny Hamlin that left his car significantly damaged, Reddick didn't give up.
Throughout the race, his team managed to repair the damage, and thanks to a strategy call from his crew chief, Billy Scott, who decided to change tires on lap 82, Reddick moved up the field quickly. In the end, he finished 11th, which was enough to stay above the elimination line.
Logano temporarily eliminated, but a disqualification puts him back in contention
Initially, it seemed that Joey Logano would be out of the Playoffs, finishing with fewer points than Reddick. However, the disqualification of Alex Bowman, whose car failed to meet NASCAR's weight requirements in post-race inspection, changed Logano's fate, allowing him to advance to the Round of 8.
Advancing to the Round of 8
With Larson's victory and Reddick's advance, Hendrick Motorsports will have three drivers in the next round of the Playoffs: Larson, Byron, and Chase Elliott. Meanwhile, Daniel Suárez and Austin Cindric failed to move on, ending their championship hopes.
Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano will be the only Ford drivers remaining in the next phase, while the rest of the finalists are from Chevrolet and Toyota.
Upcoming Races
Drivers Standings 2026
| POS | PILOTO | PTS | ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyler Reddick | 186 | |
| 2 | Bubba Wallace | 116 | |
| 3 | Chase Elliott | 114 | |
| 4 | Ryan Blaney | 100 | arrow_up4 |
| 5 | Shane van Gisbergen | 90 | arrow_up11 |
| 6 | Joey Logano | 90 | |
| 7 | Daniel Suarez | 87 | |
| 8 | AJ Allmendinger | 86 | arrow_up10 |
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