Kyle Larson dominates, but officials disqualify Bowman

MOTORSPORTS

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Kyle Larson talks with his daughter Audrey, 6, in Victory Lane after winning a NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., on Sunday. CHUCK BURTON — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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By Jenna Fryer

The Associated Press

CONCORD, N.C.>> When rain disrupted Kyle Larson’s bid to complete both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day — leaving him unable to turn a single lap at Charlotte Motor Speedway — he returned to the track determined to put on a show.

“I don’t want to say it’s a chip, but I think the fact that he didn’t get to race here and Indy didn’t turn out too good, that was the extra motivation,” team owner Rick Hendrick said.

Larson raced to his Cup Series-high sixth victory of the season Sunday to easily advance to the third round of NASCAR’s playoffs, winning on The Roval — the hybrid road course/oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Larson led a race-high 62 laps in the No. 5 Chevrolet to win in a runaway. He beat longtime rival and title contender Christopher Bell by 1.511 seconds.

“It was good to have a little bit of a stress-free weekend,” said Larson, who was taking his family to Cabo for a quick getaway before the third round of the playoffs begin next weekend in Las Vegas.

It was Larson’s second victory of the playoffs, but he’s the first championship-eligible driver to win in the round of 12. The elimination race cut the field from 12 drivers to eight, and among those knocked out of title contention was Hendrick driver Alex Bowman, who was disqualified for failing post race inspection.

Bowman’s disqualification was for not meeting minimum weight, NASCAR said. It knocked him out of the playoffs and moved Joey Logano back into title contention.

“We are working to understand the decision Monday to about whether to submit an appeal,” Hendrick Motorsports said.

Eliminated from title contention after the Bowman disqualification were Bowman, Team Penske driver Austin Cindric, Daniel Suarez of Trackhouse Racing and Chase Briscoe of Stewart-Haas Racing.

Three of the four Hendrick drivers — Larson, William Byron, and Chase Elliott — have officially advanced into the round of eight.

Joining them for the next three-race series are reigning Cup champion Ryan Blaney of Penske, Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Denny Hamlin and Bell in Toyotas, and Tyler Reddick, the regular-season champion who squeezed through in a Toyota for 23XI Racing.

There are two Fords driver still eligible for the Cup title in Blaney and Penske teammate Logano.

Bell finished second and was followed by Byron, Cindric, Elliott, defending race winner AJ Allmendinger and Shane Van Gisbergen.