Kyle Larson clinches a championship 4 berth with a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 on Sunday.
The NASCAR Cup Series is coming down the home stretch with three races remaining before the grand championship finale. The field found themselves back out west racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. After an unpredictable second round in the playoffs, the field anticipated Las Vegas as a chance to settle in for the third round. Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the only traditional speedway left to be raced, so teams looked to take full advantage of the opportunity.
Larson and Bell Start from the Front Row
Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell went to work from the front row. The two battled for the lead until Larson took complete possession on lap 3.
Bell stayed patient and was able to run Larson down. On lap 29, Christopher Bell completed his pass for the lead. The field came down pit road under the green flag where Kyle Larson was able to cycle back into the lead.
On lap 65, Erik Jones lost a tire and brought out the first caution of the day. Kyle Larson beat Christopher Bell once more on the restart and won the first stage.
Several Leaders in the Second Stage
Martin Truex Jr cycled to the lead during the stage break, but he was quickly passed by Denny Hamlin. Hamlin led nearly twenty laps when the caution flag waved after Carson Hocevar lost a tire.
Brad Keselowski made his way into the lead on the following restart, and he led twenty-seven laps when Alex Bowman wrecked off the fourth turn. Kyle Larson took control of the race passing Brad Keselowski after the restart. He led the final eleven laps to win the third stage.
Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson Return to the Lead
Christopher Bell returned to the lead to begin the third stage. He led the opening 38 laps when another caution came out for Chase Briscoe spinning. Kyle Larson took the lead, but he could not get comfortable as Ty Gibbs lost a wheel.
Kyle Larson Clinches a Championship 4 Berth with a Victory at Las Vegas
Coming out of this caution, Kyle Larson reclaimed the lead with 44 laps remaining in the race. Larson brought the field all the way to the final lap with Christopher Bell following closely. Bell was able to make a great run for the lead, but Larson edged him off by half a car length. Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports are the first to advance to the championship round after winning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The South Point 400 Results
The NASCAR Cup Series Point Standings
Sunday brought some major changes in the playoff standings. Ryan Blaney originally had a sixth-place finish coming to the line, only to be disqualified after tech was complete. This last-place finish puts Ryan Blaney 56 points back from the cut line. He will need to win one of the next two races to keep his championship hopes alive.
Chris Buescher, despite having a solid tenth-place finish, sits 36 points off the pace. Tyler Reddick as well is 28 points from the cutoff line. Look for all three of these drivers to roll the dice in the next two races. A solid strategy could place them in victory lane with a chance to take home the championship.