NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson. Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Kyle Larson clinches Round of 8 berth in NASCAR playoff race at Charlotte Roval

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Oct 5, 2025 4:13 PM ET

After the first stage of Sunday's Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kyle Larson has clinched a spot in the penultimate round of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

Larson, who entered Sunday's race 54 points above the cut line, finished second in Stage 1, earning enough points to clinch a Round of 8 spot before the halfway mark of the Round of 12 elimination race.

His hopes for a second championship remain!

With the points earned at the end of Stage 1, @KyleLarsonRacin advances to the next round of the #NASCARPlayoffs. pic.twitter.com/ncBJD9np4k
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 5, 2025

It's the fourth time in five years with Hendrick Motorsports that Larson has advanced to the Round of 8, including three years in a row. Larson has advanced to the penultimate round of the postseason five times in nine Cup Series playoff appearances.

Kyle Larson is a championship favorite

Larson is in the midst of another championship-caliber season. He's won three times this season and has earned 18 top-10 finishes for the fifth consecutive season.

The Round of 8 features an interesting combination of tracks: the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the wild card of Talladega Superspeedway and the short track of Martinsville Superspeedway. Talladega has not been historically kind to Larson, but both Las Vegas and Martinsville offer prime opportunities for Larson and the No. 5 team to win and clinch a Championship 4 berth.

Larson is competing for his second Cup Series title, having won the championship in 2021.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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