Kyle Larson took a commanding NASCAR Cup Series victory at the reconfigured Charlotte Roval ahead of Christopher Bell and William Byron, as the playoff field was slimmed to eight drivers.
Larson's sixth victory of the season in the Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet secured him passage to the next phase of the playoffs along with team-mates Byron and Chase Elliott, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota men Bell and Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick (23XI Toyota), and Penske Ford drivers Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney.
"It's the first time in my playoff career I've not been close to the cut line, so it was good to have a little bit of a stress-free week," said Larson.
"I think it's the first time I've been here without crashing. Good weekend..."
Though Larson was cruising, drivers situated near the cut-off were put under incredible pressure — namely Reddick, who had a rollercoaster of a race.
Following a Stage 1 win, he crashed into the side of his co-owner Hamlin at the start of the second stage, damaging both cars. But Reddick produced a heroic drive through the field on fresh tyres and finished 11th to secure the final transfer spot.
Logano, a two-time NASCAR Cup champion, was briefly eliminated but reinstated when Hendrick driver Alex Bowman was disqualified following post-race inspection for failing to meet the minimum weight requirement.
Austin Cindric (Penske), who finished fourth, also fell from title contention. After suffering brake issues Daniel Suarez (Trackhouse Chevrolet) was also eliminated along with Chase Briscoe (Stewart-Haas Ford), who was unable to continue after a puncture. However, Hendrick could yet appeal Bowman's exclusion.
Elliott beat Kaulig Chevrolet drivers AJ Allmendinger and Shane van Gisbergen to finish fifth, as Logano, Bubba Wallace (23XI) and Blaney rounded out the top 10.
Poleman van Gisbergen led from pole position early in the race, but as expected, those who didn't need stage points chose to pit just before the stage end. This allowed Reddick to win the opening stage, which became crucial later on.
Reddick and the others who had stayed out to collect stage points were deep in the pack when Stage 2 began, and It didn't take long for trouble find him. As the field stacked up due to the spun car of Austin Dillon in Turn 7, Reddick came in too hot and slammed into the side of Hamlin. The resulting damage forced Reddick to make a green-flag pit stop.
When Briscoe's flat tyre caused a debris caution and ended his 2024 title run, both Reddick and Hamlin were among those who came to pit road, the former making an extended stop as the team sought to fix a broken right-rear toe link.
Bowman went on to win Stage 2, as varied strategies put Allmendinger and Logano out front for the final stage. However, Allmendinger's lead didn't last long.
With 43 laps remaining, Larson moved ahead at Turn 7 and never looked back. A wayward wheel for Austin Dillon brought out a late yellow, but it did little to change the outcome.
As the points reset for the Round of 8, Larson is atop the championship standings with a 33-point buffer on the cut-line.
NASCAR Cup Series Charlotte Roval - Race Results
| Cla | Driver | # | Manufacturer | Laps | Time | Interval | Pits | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K. LarsonHendrick Motorsports | 5 | Chevrolet | 109 |
3:00'03.032 |
5 | 47 | ||
| 2 | C. BellJoe Gibbs Racing | 20 | Toyota | 109 |
+1.511 3:00'04.543 |
1.511 | 6 | 35 | |
| 3 | W. ByronHendrick Motorsports | 24 | Chevrolet | 109 |
+8.965 3:00'11.997 |
7.454 | 6 | 34 | |
| 4 | A. CindricTeam Penske | 2 | Ford | 109 |
+9.940 3:00'12.972 |
0.975 | 6 | 38 | |
| 5 | C. ElliottHendrick Motorsports | 9 | Chevrolet | 109 |
+11.756 3:00'14.788 |
1.816 | 6 | 47 | |
| 6 | A. AllmendingerKaulig Racing | 16 | Chevrolet | 109 |
+12.919 3:00'15.951 |
1.163 | 7 | ||
| 7 | S. van GisbergenKaulig Racing | 13 | Chevrolet | 109 |
+16.970 3:00'20.002 |
4.051 | 6 | ||
| 8 | J. LoganoTeam Penske | 22 | Ford | 109 |
+17.975 3:00'21.007 |
1.005 | 5 | 46 | |
| 9 | B. Wallace23XI Racing | 23 | Toyota | 109 |
+25.570 3:00'28.602 |
7.595 | 6 | 34 | |
| 10 | R. BlaneyTeam Penske | 12 | Ford | 109 |
+26.728 3:00'29.760 |
1.158 | 6 | 39 | |
| 11 | T. Reddick23XI Racing | 45 | Toyota | 109 |
+28.897 3:00'31.929 |
2.169 | 11 | 36 | |
| 12 |
C. HocevarSpire Motorsports
|
77 | Chevrolet | 109 |
+30.151 3:00'33.183 |
1.254 | 6 | 25 | |
| 13 | K. BuschRichard Childress Racing | 8 | Chevrolet | 109 |
+31.289 3:00'34.321 |
1.138 | 6 | 26 | |
| 14 | D. HamlinJoe Gibbs Racing | 11 | Toyota | 109 |
+31.465 3:00'34.497 |
0.176 | 6 | 23 | |
| 15 | M. McDowellFront Row Motorsports | 34 | Ford | 109 |
+32.148 3:00'35.180 |
0.683 | 5 | 25 | |
| 16 | R. Stenhouse JrJTG Daugherty Racing | 47 | Chevrolet | 109 |
+32.748 3:00'35.780 |
0.600 | 7 | 21 | |
| 17 | C. BuescherRFK Racing | 17 | Ford | 109 |
+33.178 3:00'36.210 |
0.430 | 7 | 20 | |
| 18 | A. BowmanHendrick Motorsports | 48 | Chevrolet | 109 |
+37.341 3:00'40.373 |
4.163 | 6 | 29 | |
| 19 | T. GillilandFront Row Motorsports | 38 | Ford | 109 |
+37.720 3:00'40.752 |
0.379 | 7 | 18 | |
| 20 |
Z. SmithSpire Motorsports
|
71 | Chevrolet | 109 |
+41.375 3:00'44.407 |
3.655 | 6 | 17 | |
| 21 | H. BurtonWood Brothers Racing | 21 | Ford | 109 |
+43.097 3:00'46.129 |
1.722 | 7 | 16 | |
| 22 | M. Truex JrJoe Gibbs Racing | 19 | Toyota | 109 |
+43.256 3:00'46.288 |
0.159 | 8 | 15 | |
| 23 | J. BerryStewart-Haas Racing | 4 | Ford | 109 |
+47.102 3:00'50.134 |
3.846 | 7 | 14 | |
| 24 | B. KeselowskiRFK Racing | 6 | Ford | 109 |
+55.074 3:00'58.106 |
7.972 | 7 | 15 | |
| 25 | D. HemricKaulig Racing | 31 | Chevrolet | 109 |
+55.405 3:00'58.437 |
0.331 | 7 | 12 | |
| 26 | R. PreeceStewart-Haas Racing | 41 | Ford | 109 |
+1'02.599 3:01'05.631 |
7.194 | 11 | 11 | |
| 27 | J. HaleySpire Motorsports | 7 | Chevrolet | 109 |
+1'04.478 3:01'07.510 |
1.879 | 7 | 10 | |
| 28 | K. GralaRick Ware Racing | 15 | Ford | 109 |
+1'08.053 3:01'11.085 |
3.575 | 7 | 9 | |
| 29 | R. ChastainTrackHouse Racing | 1 | Chevrolet | 109 |
+1'08.070 3:01'11.102 |
0.017 | 11 | 8 | |
| 30 | J. BilickiMBM | 66 | Ford | 109 |
+1'22.998 3:01'26.030 |
14.928 | 9 | ||
| 31 | D. SuarezTrackHouse Racing | 99 | Chevrolet | 108 |
+1 Lap 3:00'04.784 |
1 Lap | 8 | 6 | |
| 32 | N. GragsonStewart-Haas Racing | 10 | Ford | 108 |
+1 Lap 3:00'23.691 |
18.907 | 13 | 5 | |
| 33 | A. DillonRichard Childress Racing | 3 | Chevrolet | 107 |
+2 Laps 3:00'57.510 |
1 Lap | 8 | 4 | |
| 34 | E. JonesLegacy Motor Club | 43 | Toyota | 56 |
+53 Laps 1:37'03.171 |
51 Laps | 6 | 3 | |
| 35 | J. NemechekLegacy Motor Club | 42 | Toyota | 55 |
+54 Laps 1:35'00.434 |
1 Lap | 5 | 2 | |
| 36 |
T. GibbsJoe Gibbs Racing
|
54 | Toyota | 54 |
+55 Laps 1:33'17.781 |
1 Lap | 7 | 5 | |
| 37 | C. BriscoeStewart-Haas Racing | 14 | Ford | 41 |
+68 Laps 1:10'26.331 |
13 Laps | 6 | 1 | |
| 38 | C. LajoieRick Ware Racing | 51 | Ford | 3 |
+106 Laps 4'26.949 |
38 Laps | 3 | 1 |
