Kyle Larson Wins Las Vegas by .08 over Bell, Locks into the Championship 4

15 October 2023
By Bob Francis, Managing Editor
Go Full Throttle Racing News

LAS VEGAS, NV- What a week for Henrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson, winner of today’s South Point 400 here at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In an epic battle throughout the day with pole sitter Christopher Bell, it came down to a final lap dog fight with Larson holding off Bell by just 0.08 of a second for the victory. Las Vegas was the first of 3 races in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8, and the win a spot in the Championship 4 and a shot at his 2nd Cup Series title.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — OCTOBER 15: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag over Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Rheem/Smurfit Kappa Toyota, to win the NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 15, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — OCTOBER 15: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, celebrates winning the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, locking into the Championship 4.

Christopher Bell finished 2nd, followed by Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and Ross Chastain rounding out the top five. Other Round of 8 Playoff drivers William Byron, Tyler Reddick, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, and Chris Buescher rounded out the top 10.

• Ryan Blaney, who had finished 6th was disqualified as the car failed postrace inspection (suspension/shock violation).

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — OCTOBER 15: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, crew, and family celebrate in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 15, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

“Just a great race car. I almost gave it away there in 1 and 2, getting sideways and getting into the wall and had to fight back from there with our balance,” Larson said to NBC Sports following the race. “They got it much closer there to lead. I was happy to pull away as much as we did and was hoping that was going to be enough, you know, to maintain, which it was, but I thought they weren’t going to be able to get as close as they did there at the end, so nerve-wracking.”

Las Vegas winner Kyle Larson meets with the media following his win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday October 15, 2023 in the South Point 400. (Image Credit Bob Francis, Go Full Throttle Digital).

Bell Gave it Everything …
“I mean, I don’t know what else I could have done, so I don’t know. I feel like that was my moment,” Bell said to NBC Sports following the race. “That was my moment to make the final four. Didn’t quite capture it. I don’t know. Coming to the checkered there, I knew that he [Larson] was going to be blocking, so I’m like, I’m going to try to go high. He went high. I don’t even know if I had a run to get by him there coming to the line. Just wasn’t enough. A great day, great day for sure, to get the stage points, get a second-place finish out of it. I think I saw we’re minus two, so we’re not out of it by any means. It would have been nice to lock it in.”

2nd place finisher Christopher Bell talks with the media following the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Image Credit: Go Full Throttle Digital).

Many more story lines here from the deadline room at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Watch Go Full Throttle social media and gofullthrottle.net/nascar for updates on the South Point 400.