The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race is heating up as drivers head to the Round of 12.
Kyle Larson dominated Saturday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway, leading a career-high 462 of the 500 laps to coast into the second round of the playoffs. Larson set the record for the most laps led in a single race by a Hendrick Motorsports driver.
Chase Elliott finished second at Bristol, followed by Bubba Wallace, who did not qualify for the playoffs, Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, and Ryan Blaney, the defending series champion.
The other 11 drivers advancing to the next round are Bell (3,032), Tyler Reddick (3,028), William Byron (3,022) Blaney (3,019), Hamlin (3,015), Elliott (3,014), Joey Logano (3,012), Austin Cindric (3,008), Daniel Suárez (3,006), Alex Bowman, (3,005), and Chase Briscoe (3,005).
Four drivers were eliminated from the competition—Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Ty Gibbs, and Harrison Burton. It was an especially painful end of the season for Keselowski and Truex, who are both former NASCAR champions.
The Round of 12 begins at the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday at Kansas Speedway, followed by races at Talladega and Charlotte.
Larson has five top fives in the last six races at the Kansas track. Another driver to watch is Reddick, who won the Kansas playoff race last year and is the third favorite for the season’s title behind Larson and Bell.
Alex Bowman has been one of the best drivers with top-10 finishes in all three first-round playoff races at Atlanta, Watkins Glen, and Bristol. He has also been solid in Kansas with four straight top-10 finishes at the track.
Cindric, Suárez, Bowman, and Briscoe are on the playoff bubble heading into the Kansas race.
However, the entire field will be chasing Larson.
The playoff semifinal rounds are set for Las Vegas, Homestead-Miami Speedway, and Martinsville from Oct. 20 through Nov. 3. The NASCAR Championship will take place at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 10.