After the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas, where do eight playoff drivers stand?

Kyle Larson won at Las Vegas and clinched a spot in the Championship Four.

He edged Christopher Bell, holding off a strong push from the pole-sitter. Larson started the race in second and swept the first two stages, while Bell ran around the front of the pack throughout the race.

Let’s take a closer look at how each of the playoff drivers fared in the first of three Round of 8 races:

Kyle Larson

Larson, who swept the first two stages, was dominant throughout Sunday’s race.

His No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy was fast all day. With 20 more stage points added to his name, Larson was already among the top drivers. His victory punches him a ticket to the Championship Four in Phoenix.

Christopher Bell

Bell, who won his sixth pole of the season and fourth in seven playoff races, had one of the fastest cars on Sunday.

He battled Kyle Larson for the lead throughout Stage 1 and then came in third, behind Larson and Ross Chastain, in Stage 2. Bell, who still doesn’t have a win in the playoffs, dropped below the elimination line.

William Byron

The driver of the No. 24 Chevy, who boasts a field-best six wins, seems to find himself around the front in every race.

Byron was no different on Sunday in Las Vegas, collecting points after the first two stages. He’s been strong all playoffs; After his win at Texas, Byron came in second at both Talladega and Charlotte. He’s second in the playoff standings after a seventh-place finish.

Denny Hamlin

Since the start of the playoffs, Denny Hamlin has felt strongly that this could be his year. The 42-year-old driver — who’s never won a Cup championship — escaped Bristol victorious, then passionately responded to boos from the crowd.

On the intermediate speedway at Las Vegas, Hamlin found himself around the front of the pack once again. He led for a period during Stage 2 and ultimately finished fourth (seven stage points). He came in 10th.

Tyler Reddick

Reddick was fast throughout Sunday’s race and often found himself around the Top 10.

The two-time Xfinity Series champion collected points in both stages, including a fourth-place finish in Stage 1. He came in eighth.

Martin Truex Jr.

Truex was among the most dominant drivers throughout the year, winning the regular season championship and entering the playoffs as the No. 2 seed.

But the 2017 Cup champion faltered early in the playoffs, most notably wrecking out and finishing 36th at Kansas during the Round of 16. While he’s stayed alive, he hasn’t had a finish better than 17th in the playoffs.

During the first half of Sunday’s race, Truex’s team had a pit strategy error and dropped on the leaderboard after he’d been running toward the front early on. He finished Stage 2 in 20th. He ended up coming in ninth, keeping him above the cut line.

Ryan Blaney

Blaney, who won the first race of the Round of 12, collected points after both stages. He finished the race in sixth.

Chris Buescher

Buescher, who spoke about his confidence amid his unprecedented success, started the race in fifth but was behind most of the playoff drivers. The driver of the No. 17 Ford didn’t collect points in either stage. He finished 11th.

This story was originally published October 15, 2023 at 5:56 PM.