Kyle Larson’s second-place run at Las Vegas keeps him on top of the NASCAR Cup Series standings and extends his top-five streak as the Chase hits halfway.
Kyle Larson clawed back from early trouble at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He finished second in the South Point 400 and kept his grip on the NASCAR Cup Series points lead. The Chase for the championship is now at its midpoint. Larson’s top-five streak is still alive.
He started the day in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Early on, the car was tough to handle. A slow pit stop dropped him a lap behind. By the final stage, Larson was back in the fight. He cut a three-second gap to the front. In the end, he finished just behind Chase Briscoe. Larson now leads Denny Hamlin by 40 points heading to Charlotte. Motorsport.com reported this margin grew from 26 points before Las Vegas, after Hamlin finished 16th and lost 14 points to Larson.
Chase Briscoe won the South Point 400 at Las Vegas, edging out Kyle Larson by 1.376 seconds after 2 hours 43 minutes of racing at an average speed of 147.363 mph.
Chevrolet drivers pack the top 10
Chevrolet teams showed up strong in Nevada. Four drivers landed in the top 10. William Byron and Chase Elliott, both from Hendrick Motorsports and still in the Chase, finished sixth and seventh. Trackhouse Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen stood out with a ninth-place run on the oval. Daniel Suarez led Team Chevy at the end of Stage One and took sixth in that segment.
Larson’s race was anything but smooth. He qualified sixth but said his car felt “edgy and lacking grip” early. A big front-end adjustment during the first pit cycle cost him track position. Then a caution let the team get back on the lead lap. From there, Larson and his crew chipped away, using pit strategy and steady gains. Las Vegas Motor Speedway noted Denny Hamlin started from pole. Larson’s sixth-place qualifying run came in the No. 5 Kyle Busch Tribute Chevrolet, clocking a best lap of 29.054 seconds at 185.861 mph.
Race recap: twists and turns
The South Point 400 began with Larson holding his starting spot. Handling issues soon dropped him outside the top 10. Crew chief Cliff Daniels called for a major adjustment. The long pit stop put Larson a lap down. A caution for the No. 38 car gave the team a chance to take the wave around and rejoin the lead lap, but deep in the pack.
Stage Two brought small gains for Larson. He started 18th and finished 23rd in the segment. Daniel Suarez took advantage of pit road penalties and strategy, briefly leading and finishing second in the stage. Shane van Gisbergen, on an alternate plan, stayed in the top six despite older tires. The Hendrick trio—Elliott, Byron, and Larson—gambled on track position and grabbed points at the stage end. TobyChristie.com reported Larson completed all 267 laps and earned 36 points for second place. Briscoe took 75 points for the win.
Prior to the Las Vegas race, NASCAR highlighted that Larson had reclaimed the championship lead for the first time since June, entering the South Point 400 with a narrow 26-point edge over Hamlin. The top four drivers in the standings were separated by just a single point at that stage.
In the final stage, Elliott’s pit crew gained him two spots, putting him fourth for the restart. All three Hendrick drivers cycled back into the top 10 during green flag stops. With 20 laps left, Larson closed in on Briscoe. He worked through heavy lap traffic and made a move for second with 12 laps to go. Larson pushed hard on the last lap but settled for second. He led the Chevrolet charge at the finish.
Chevrolet’s season: the numbers
After 30 races in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series, Chevrolet’s record stands at eight wins, six poles, 52 top-five finishes, 105 top-10s, and 21 stage wins. The manufacturer’s steady results have kept its drivers in the thick of the title fight. The Chase now heads to Charlotte for the Bank of America 400 on October 11.
Driver reactions and what’s next
Larson called the race “a fight all day long.” He credited his team’s adjustments and pit calls for saving a strong finish after early setbacks. William Byron and Chase Elliott both said their cars struggled to move past the back half of the top 10. Handling issues stuck with them through long green-flag runs. Shane van Gisbergen’s ninth-place finish was a highlight for Trackhouse Racing on an oval.
Other Chevrolet drivers—Austin Dillon, Michael McDowell, and Austin Hill—finished outside the top 15. They pointed to small gains and useful notes for future races. Now, all eyes turn to Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Chase continues. The championship picture will get sharper.
Chevrolet’s ability to put several drivers in the top 10 at Las Vegas shows the team’s depth and flexibility as the season hits its most intense stretch. Larson’s grit and the Hendrick crew’s smart calls kept the points lead safe. The next round is set up for a showdown. For Las Vegas fans, the South Point 400 brought late-race drama and the kind of fight that defines NASCAR’s playoffs.
