Kyle Larson turned a chaotic Talladega finish into a pivotal playoff win, charging from 11th on the final lap to edge teammate William Byron. The victory—Larson’s first at Talladega and on a superspeedway—expanded his championship lead with two races left.

By the Numbers
  • Larson won by 0.041 seconds.
  • He led 23 of 189 laps and earned 16 stage points.
  • Larson’s 35th career Cup win was his third of 2026.
  • He leads Denny Hamlin by 73 points with two races remaining.
  • The race featured 41 lead changes among 15 leaders; 14 of 40 starters finished on the lead lap.
Yes, But

Larson credited Chevrolet’s drafting support and acknowledged he had been shuffled deep in the field before the late wrecks reshaped the race. Byron finished second, just 0.094 seconds behind, and said he was happy for his teammate but frustrated to miss his first win of the season.

State of Play
  • Two races remain in the 2026 Cup Series Chase.
  • Hamlin is second in the standings, 73 points behind Larson; Christopher Bell is third, 74 points back.
  • Several title contenders were caught in late crashes, including Joey Logano, Chase Briscoe, Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney.
What’s Next

The Chase continues at Martinsville Speedway with the Xfinity 500 on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 p.m. ET.

Bottom Line

Larson leaves Talladega with a commanding points cushion, but the title is not clinched: two races remain, and another poor result could reopen the fight.