Kyle Larson and his Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 team made quick work of its competitors on Sunday during the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8 opening race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The 2021 series champion will go back to Phoenix with title hopes this year, after his pit crew dropped a money stop and beat Christopher Bell to get back on track first in the final round of stops. He led the remainder of the race in route to the win.
Bell nearly got Larson back in the final moments of the race, but Larson had just enough space to hold on and becomes the first driver to punch his ticket to Phoenix.
William Byron exits the race nine points above the cutoff line while Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin hold the final two wildcard spots by two points over Christopher Bell.
Tyler Reddick is 16 points back of the cutoff, while Ryan Blaney is 17 back and Chris Buescher is in the hole by 23 points.
The second race of the Round of 8 will take place at Homestead Sunday, October 22 at 1:30 p.m. CT on NBC.
