Kyle Larson had an impressive victory at The Roval, a hybrid road course/oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway, securing his sixth Cup Series win of the season. Larson led for 62 laps in his No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, beating out Christopher Bell by 1.511 seconds. This win allowed Larson to comfortably advance to the third round of NASCAR’s playoffs, making him the first championship-eligible driver to win in the round of 12.
The race saw the elimination of Joey Logano and Austin Cindric of Team Penske, Daniel Suarez of Trackhouse Racing, and Chase Briscoe of Stewart-Haas Racing from title contention. On the other hand, all four Hendrick drivers – Larson, William Byron, Alex Bowman, and Chase Elliott – moved on to the round of eight. This success was celebrated by the Hendrick Motorsports team, with Elliott expressing pride in having four drivers in the last eight standing.
The next three-race series will feature drivers like Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, and Tyler Reddick, who made it through to the next round. Reddick, the regular-season champion, managed to secure his spot in the playoffs after overcoming challenges during the race. Unfortunately, Logano was eliminated by four points from advancing to the next round, along with two other Penske drivers.
The race also saw a change in the track layout, with Charlotte officials replacing the 4-inch “turtles” with 2.25-inch curbing to reduce the impact on drivers when going over speed bumps. Additionally, NASCAR reminded drivers about track limits to avoid penalties for cutting the chicane, emphasizing the importance of following the designated course at all times.
Looking ahead, NASCAR will open the third round of the playoffs at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Larson will aim to defend his race win from last season. The excitement continues as the remaining drivers compete for the championship title, setting the stage for an action-packed series of races in the coming weeks.
