Kyle Larson won Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, ending the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
Four drivers had their championship hopes dashed on Sunday. Eight others advanced to the Round of 8, which is essentially the semifinals for the playoffs.
The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs continue next week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the first race in the Round of 8.
Here are winners and losers from Sunday’s NASCAR race at Charlotte.
CHARLOTTE RESULTS: Who won NASCAR Cup race at Charlotte? Winner is Kyle Larson plus full results
PLAYOFF PICTURE: NASCAR playoff picture: Cup Series points standings after Charlotte Roval
Winners
Christopher Bell
Christopher Bell, like Larson, was able to race most of the final stage comfortably after clinching a spot in the Round of 8 based on points. Bell finished second to Larson but was running toward the front of the field most of the day. Bell has some work to do to get into the Championship 4.
Kyle Larson
Larson won the race, dominating the second half and leading 62 laps. He clinched a spot in the Round of 8 on points after the second stage and was able to race relaxed in the final stage. While he’s not the top seed in the playoffs, Larson is one of the favorites to earn a spot in the Championship 4 and add a second championship to his career resume after winning the 2021 title.
Tyler Reddick
Tyler Reddick had a lot of issues to work with in the first half of the race after colliding with 23XI Racing car co-owner Denny Hamlin. Reddick’s right rear tow link was bent enough that the No. 45 team had to replace it. Reddick wasn’t happy with the car through the middle stages of the race, making several unscheduled pit stops. Reddick then battled back and drove through the field to 12th position and take the final playoff spot from Joey Logano.
Losers
Charlotte ROVAL
Sunday’s race was a bit of an unknown because of the changes to the racetrack. Turn 6 was changed to a different corner on the infield, a sweeping right hander after a long straightaway from turn 5. Then the hairpin turn 7 brought drivers back onto the oval at Charlotte. Turn 16, the chicane in the frontstretch, was made sharper. Drivers were penalized if they cut the corner, which had the curbs lowered by 1.5 inches to limit the way the cars were affected.
While there were some interesting spins in turn 7 and quick incidents with the stop-and-go penalties around the track, the slower speed of the race made for a lackluster race and eliminated a significant amount of the drama fans love in an elimination race. Thank goodness for Tyler Reddick driving through the field to create some drama.
HOW IT HAPPENED: NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte: Live updates, highlights, leaderboard of Bank of America ROVAL 400
Chase Briscoe
Chase Briscoe’s wife gave birth to twins this week, so he’s a winner. However, he was eliminated from the playoffs after driving hard throughout the early parts of the Charlotte race. Briscoe had troubles with the front left suspension and was not able to recover to even get back on the track.
Alex Bowman
Alex Bowman was disqualified from Sunday’s Charlotte race after his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet did not meet the minimum weight requirement in post-race inspection. Bowman’s run at winning a championship comes to an end after the disqualification. Bowman had a great run on the track, rolling through the playoff races with consistency, but a setup issue cost him dearly.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Cup Series winners, losers: Kyle Larson wins at Charlotte Roval
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