For the first time since 2017, there is a race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval on the NASCAR Cup Series postseason schedule, after the Roval hosted one race each season from 2018 to 2025. It did so on seven of those eight occasions as the only road course in the playoffs.

Heading into Sunday’s 267-lap Bank of America 400 at the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Concord, North Carolina oval, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson is the points leader, with a 40-point advantage over Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin in second place.

Hamlin has scored more points than any driver this year if you exclude the post-regular season reset, but he has gone backwards every single week since the postseason began, starting when his regular season championship-winning margin of 89 was reduced to a 25-point lead based on the predetermined points reset values.

All 16 playoff drivers are still mathematically eligible to win the championship, and that is guaranteed to be the case after the Bank of America 400 as well. Here is how things look heading into Charlotte.

NASCAR playoff standings before Charlotte

Rank

Driver

Points

Gap

1

Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

2318

0

2

Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

2278

-40

3

Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

2263

-55

4

Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford

2247

-71

5

Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford

2238

-80

6

Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

2234

-84

7

Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota

2212

-106

8

Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

2208

-110

9

Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford

2190

-128

10

Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota

2181

-137

11

Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

2160

-158

12

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

2158

-160

13

Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

2155

-163

14

Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet

2123

-195

15

Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford

2122

-196

16

Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford

2118

-200

A full starting lineup for Sunday’s race was supposed to be determined by Saturday’s single-car qualifying session, but for the fourth time in six playoff race weekends, qualifying was rained out. Larson is on pole, thanks to the qualifying metric.

Follow along with our standings updates from Charlotte as the Bank of America 400 unfolds.

NOTE: Only the 16 playoff drivers are included after the first two stages.

NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte: Standings after Stage 1

1 – Kyle Larson – 2328 (0)

2 – Denny Hamlin – 2278 (-50)

3 – Christopher Bell – 2271 (-57)

4 – Joey Logano – 2247 (-81)

5 – Chase Briscoe – 2243 (-85)

6 – Ryan Blaney – 2239 (-89)

7 – Tyler Reddick – 2218 (-110)

8 – Ty Gibbs – 2208 (-120)

9 – Austin Cindric – 2197 (-131)

10 – Bubba Wallace – 2181 (-147)

11 – Carson Hocevar – 2163 (-165)

12 – William Byron – 2158 (-170)

13 – Chase Elliott – 2155 (-173)

14 – Daniel Suarez – 2128 (-200)

15 – Chris Buescher – 2124 (-204)

16 – Ryan Preece – 2118 (-210)

NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte: Standings after Stage 2

1 – Kyle Larson – 2335 (0)

2 – Denny Hamlin – 2286 (-49)

3 – Christopher Bell – 2281 (-54)

4 – Ryan Blaney – 2248 (-87)

5 – Chase Briscoe – 2247 (-88)

5 – Joey Logano – 2247 (-88)

7 – Tyler Reddick – 2224 (-111)

8 – Ty Gibbs – 2208 (-127)

9 – Austin Cindric – 2202 (-133)

10 – Bubba Wallace – 2181 (-154)

11 – Carson Hocevar – 2164 (-171)

12 – William Byron – 2158 (-177)

13 – Chase Elliott – 2157 (-178)

14 – Daniel Suarez – 2128 (-207)

15 – Chris Buescher – 2124 (-211)

16 – Ryan Preece – 2118 (-217)

NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte: Full standings after Bank of America 400

Race number seven on the 10-race 2026 NASCAR Cup Series postseason schedule is the Freeway Insurance 500, which is set to be shown live on USA Network from Phoenix Raceway beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 18.

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