Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 was a tale of two stories: Tyler Reddick’s gutsy, heroic charge into the Round of 8 and Kyle Larson’s continued mastery of elimination races. With stakes sky-high, the NASCAR Cup Series delivered another heart-pounding playoff race that had fans on the edge of their seats.
Kyle Larson was untouchable, cruising to his second playoff victory of the season and his second win in an elimination race. He dominated the field, leading 62 of the final 82 laps at the 2.28-mile Charlotte Roval, showcasing once again why he’s a force to be reckoned with in these high-pressure moments. Crossing the finish line 1.511 seconds ahead of Christopher Bell, Larson not only secured his sixth win of the season but also made history with his second triumph at the Roval, further cementing his status as one of NASCAR’s elimination race kings.
But while Larson’s victory was impressive, it was Tyler Reddick’s jaw-dropping drive that stole the show. After a lap 84 restart, Reddick found himself in 26th place, seemingly out of playoff contention. However, the regular-season champion wasn’t about to give up. He clawed his way back, overtaking car after car, ultimately finishing 11th and knocking two-time series champion Joey Logano out of the playoffs—by just four points.
But the drama didn’t stop there. Post-race inspection brought a shocking twist: Alex Bowman’s No. 48 Chevrolet was disqualified for failing NASCAR’s weight requirement, dropping him below the elimination line. This disqualification saved Logano’s playoff hopes, catapulting him back into the Round of 8 and leaving Bowman on the sidelines in a gut-wrenching turn of events.
Larson’s commanding win also saw two of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, William Byron and Chase Elliott, advance into the next round, alongside Christopher Bell, who was the only driver to keep pace with Larson. Byron finished third, a distant 8.965 seconds behind, while Elliott grabbed fifth place. Bowman had initially been in line to join them but was eliminated after his disqualification.
Reddick’s day was anything but smooth, as a massive wreck in Turn 7 early in the race nearly derailed his playoff run. A melee involving Austin Dillon spun Reddick’s car airborne and into his team owner, Denny Hamlin, in a collision that left Reddick’s machine badly damaged. But the 23XI Racing team worked tirelessly, with multiple pit stops to repair the damage, allowing Reddick to remain competitive.
“I thought I was going to flip,” Reddick said of the wreck. “It felt like I was going to do a front flip. This car was absolutely destroyed, but my team did an incredible job to get it back on track.”
Reddick’s crew chief, Billy Scott, made the crucial call to bring Reddick to pit road for fresh tires under caution with 29 laps to go. That decision turned out to be the game-changer. Armed with new tires, Reddick blitzed through the field, passing 15 cars in the final 26 laps to claw his way into the playoffs by a mere four points—before Bowman’s disqualification ultimately made it an eight-point gap over Logano.
As the dust settled, the playoff field was set. Larson, Bell, Hamlin, Reddick, Logano, Byron, Elliott, and Ryan Blaney advanced to the Round of 8, while Alex Bowman, Austin Cindric, Daniel Suarez, and Chase Briscoe saw their playoff hopes come to an end.
The race at the Charlotte Roval will be remembered not only for Larson’s dominance but also for the incredible resilience of Tyler Reddick and the late-race drama that reshaped the playoff landscape. With only eight drivers left, the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are heading into the final stretch, and if this race is any indication, the excitement is far from over.
