For two consecutive weeks, there has been a NASCAR Cup Series points leader who does not drive a Toyota for the first time in 2026, and that is reigning champion Kyle Larson.
Larson took a one-point lead over regular season champion Denny Hamlin with a runner-up finish at Bristol Motor Speedway, and he extended that lead to 26 points with a dominant victory at Kansas Speedway, marking the first 76-point performance of the year.
Sunday's South Point 400 is the fifth race on the 10-race postseason schedule, and it's also the second race of a crucial three-race stretch at four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) high-speed intermediate ovals. Will Larson keep up his run of form, or will Hamlin keep up his recent Las Vegas hot streak, which includes victories in both October 2025 and March 2026?
Here is how the playoff drivers stack up with six races left on the 2026 calendar.
NASCAR Cup Series standings before Las Vegas
Rank | Name | Points | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | 2282 | 0 |
2 | Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | 2256 | -26 |
3 | Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | 2232 | -50 |
4 | Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford | 2215 | -67 |
5 | Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford | 2191 | -91 |
6 | Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | 2188 | -94 |
7 | Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota | 2171 | -111 |
8 | Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | 2159 | -123 |
9 | Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford | 2142 | -140 |
10 | Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota | 2142 | -140 |
11 | Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet | 2132 | -150 |
12 | William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | 2124 | -158 |
13 | Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | 2121 | -161 |
14 | Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford | 2109 | -173 |
15 | Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford | 2096 | -186 |
16 | Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet | 2095 | -187 |
A full starting lineup for Sunday's race was determined by Saturday's single-car qualifying session, the first qualifying session in three weeks after two in a row were canceled due to inclement weather. Hamlin took the pole position, and teammate Ty Gibbs joined him on the front row.
Follow along with our standings updates from Las Vegas as the South Point 400 unfolds.
NOTE: Only the 16 playoff drivers are included after the first two stages.
NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas: Standings after Stage 1
1 - Kyle Larson - 2282 (0)
2 - Denny Hamlin - 2256 (-26)
3 - Christopher Bell - 2241 (-41)
4 - Joey Logano - 2215 (-67)
5 - Ryan Blaney - 2199 (-83)
6 - Ty Gibbs - 2188 (-94)
7 - Tyler Reddick - 2178 (-104)
8 - Chase Briscoe - 2169 (-113)
9 - Austin Cindric - 2148 (-134)
10 - Bubba Wallace - 2146 (-136)
11 - Carson Hocevar - 2135 (-147)
12 - William Byron - 2124 (-158)
13 - Chase Elliott - 2121 (-161)
14 - Ryan Preece - 2109 (-173)
15 - Daniel Suarez - 2100 (-182)
16 - Chris Buescher - 2096 (-186)
NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas: Standings after Stage 2
NASCAR Cup Series at Las Vegas: Full standings after South Point 400
The sixth race on the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series playoff schedule is the Bank of America 400, which is set to be shown live on USA Network from Charlotte Motor Speedway, not the Roval, beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 11.
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