Playoff drivers fought back on Sunday.
After two straight wins by outsiders, Kyle Larson claimed victory at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course as playoff contenders took the top five positions in the Round of 12 finale.
REPOST to congratulate Kyle Larson! 🏁
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 13, 2024
He WINS at the Charlotte ROVAL for the second time, advancing to the next round of the #NASCARPlayoffs. pic.twitter.com/7EyeLHwKWk
While Larson locked his way into the next round, four drivers were eliminated – Alex Bowman (more on that later), Austin Cindric, Daniel Suarez and Chase Briscoe. That leaves Larson and seven other contenders still battling for the title.
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Next up, the Round of 8 gets underway Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. How does the field stack up after Charlotte? Here’s our latest NASCAR power rankings:
1. Kyle Larson
Last week: 2
The 2021 champion is separating himself from the field. Larson leads all drivers in most major categories – six wins (next-closest has three), 13 top-fives (next-closest has 12), 1,613 laps led (next-closest has 918). He enters the Round of 8 with a 20-point lead over second place and a 33-point edge on the cut line, making him the safest bet to make the Championship 4.
SPECIAL DELIVERY! 🏁
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 13, 2024
Kyle Larson's daughter Audrey gives him the checkered flag after seeing dad win at the Charlotte ROVAL. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/V9s0NUsP9k
2. Christopher Bell
Last week: 1
It feels wrong to knock Bell down for finishing second, but that says more about Larson than him. The Joe Gibbs Racing star has now posted eight straight top-15s and 11 top-15s in his last 12 starts. Bell is dialed in at the perfect time as he seeks a third straight Championship 4 appearance and a first title.
3. William Byron
Last week: 3
Byron was third at Charlotte, so he stays at third in the power rankings. The Round of 12 was his best three-race stretch of the season with finishes of second, third and third. Even with the points reset for the next round, Byron – a past winner at all three Round of 8 tracks – should be confident.
4. Denny Hamlin
Last week: 4
Hamlin made it through his two toughest rounds, at least on paper. A 14th-place run at Charlotte was just enough to advance as he now heads to three of his best tracks for the Round of 8. While still seeking that elusive first title, the 43-year-old star can use his experience as an advantage over his playoff competitors.
5. Chase Elliott
Last week: 7
In order to advance, Elliott had to go for stage points and potentially sacrifice some positions in the end. It all worked out for the 2020 champion, who was third in Stage 1 and 2 and then finished fifth to easily move on. Elliott, despite winning just once this season, leads all drivers with an 11.7 average finish through 32 races.
6. Ryan Blaney
Last week: 5
The title defense is still alive for the reigning champion, who finished 10th at Charlotte. Blaney raised his game at this point last season, so we’ll see if he can match that performance level again in 2024. He’s never won at Las Vegas but was third in the spring race this season.
7. Tyler Reddick
Last week: 6
It was an eventful race on Sunday for the regular season champion, but Reddick did just enough to advance. He was involved in several incidents before a late charge through the field to finish 11th. Reddick’s playoffs have been uninspiring so far (18.2 average finish), but it won’t matter if he can deliver Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing its first Championship 4 appearance.
Tyler Reddick had a CRAZY DAY, passing 15 cars after the final restart to advance to the Round of 8.
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 13, 2024
Relive the highlights from the No. 45 team. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/SAEA3C4fVs
8. Joey Logano
Last week: 9
Logano’s eighth-place finish originally wasn’t enough to advance, but that all changed post-race when Bowman’s car failed inspection. So, the two-time champion is still alive in his chase for title No. 3. Logano often rises to the occasion in clutch moments, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he pulls off another upset in the next three weeks to advance again.
9. Alex Bowman
Last week: 8
While Logano’s season continues, Bowman is left out. Hendrick Motorsports will not appeal the ruling that Bowman’s car was underweight, so his championship hopes are officially over. It’s a shame considering how well Bowman’s playoffs had been going compared to his up-and-down regular season.
10. Austin Cindric
Last week: First four out
Cindric was eliminated after his fourth-place finish at Charlotte, all because he wrecked while leading at Talladega a week prior. The third-year driver has put together a solid playoff run (three top-10s), so the hope is that he can become more consistent throughout the regular season next year – which he hasn’t shown yet in his career.
First four out: Bubba Wallace, Kyle Busch, Ty Gibbs, Ross Chastain
