NOTE: This article was written before post-race inspection at the Charlotte Roval. NASCAR ultimately disqualified Alex Bowman, which put Joey Logano back into the Round of 8.
CONCORD, N.C. — The second round of the Cup Series playoffs ended the same way as the first round — with Kyle Larson celebrating another win.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver won his sixth race of the NASCAR season on Sunday afternoon at the Charlotte Roval after leading 62 of the 109 laps. This was his second Roval win since the 2021 season.
Christopher Bell finished second while William Byron, Austin Cindric, and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five.
MORE: Larson wins, full Roval results
Larson was in complete control of the race throughout the final stage. He took the lead from AJ Allmendinger on Lap 66 and then he remained at the front of the pack until green flag pit stops began. Once Larson made his mandatory trip down pit road for fuel and tires, he jumped back to the lead and led the final 33 laps of the race.
A @TeamHendrick win in @TeamHendrick's backyard. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/ksSkVsxZ6N
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 13, 2024
He had already clinched his spot in the Round of 8 by that point of the race, but the win added another trophy to his collection. Larson has now won 23 races since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021.
Playoff standings: Chase Briscoe was the first driver eliminated from the playoffs. He ended the race on Lap 41 after damage sustained on track led to a mechanical issue. Daniel Suarez was next as persistent brake issues disrupted his race. He finished 31st.
Austin Cindric was in a must-win situation during the final stage of the race. He finished fourth and was eliminated from championship contention.
Joey Logano scored 17 stage points early in the race to put himself above the Round of 8 cutline, but he was not able to maintain this position. Tyler Reddick, the stage 1 winner, used fresh tires to pass enough cars and put Logano back under the cutline as the checkered flag flew.
Logano was originally eliminated from the playoffs. However, NASCAR disqualified Alex Bowman after the No. 48 failed weights in a post-race inspection. Logano is now in the Round of 8, pending the results of a Hendrick Motorsports appeal.
Stage 1: Tyler Reddick won stage 1. He stayed out after other leaders stopped early to flip the stage.
Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Shane van Gisbergen, Ty Gibbs, AJ Allmendinger, Brad Keselowski, and Austin Cindric were top 10.
Christopher Bell in 11th, William Byron in 13th, Daniel Suarez in 19th, Alex Bowman in 22nd, Chase Briscoe in 23rd, and Denny Hamlin in 27th missed out on stage points.
Stage 2: Alex Bowman won stage 2 after staying out when others headed down pit road. AJ Allmendinger, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace, Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric, Michael McDowell, Kyle Busch, and Kyle Larson were all top 10
Next: The Round of 8 kicks off next weekend with a trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Cup Series will compete on Sunday, Oct. 20.
