LAS VEGAS - While Kyle Larson just ran short on laps in terms of winning Sunday's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he still bolstered his position on the NASCAR Round of 8 cutline.
Thanks to 19 stage points and a second-place finish, Larson is now 35 points above the elimination point with races at Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville Speedway remaining before the Championship 4 is set. Larson led a race-high 129 laps on Sunday.
As for the other two Hendrick Motorsports playoff drivers, both are still very much within range. William Byron will need to make up 15 points on the cutline over the next two races while Chase Elliott will enter Talladega 23 points back.
Here's a look at the playoff standings after Las Vegas:
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NASCAR playoff standings after Las Vegas
| Driver | Margin |
|---|---|
| 1. Denny Hamlin | ADV |
| 2. Kyle Larson | +35 |
| 3. Christopher Bell | +20 |
| 4. Chase Briscoe | +15 |
| -------------- | ----- |
| 5. William Byron | -15 |
| 6. Chase Elliott | -23 |
| 7. Joey Logano | -24 |
| 8. Ryan Blaney | -31 |