Kyle Larson, surrounded by his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports team, captured a strong runner-up in Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. (Photo: Chloe Gunn | The Podium Finish)
CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Larson punched his ticket into the Round of 8 Sunday with a gutsy, well-executed second-place finish in the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte, delivering his best road-course result of the 2025 season and stoking momentum in his bid for a second NASCAR Cup Series crown.
Larson’s No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet finished 15.160 seconds behind winner Shane van Gisbergen, but the runner-up spot was more than enough to keep his championship hopes alive. He charged through the field, led 27 laps, scored a Stage 1 runner-up, and placed sixth in Stage 2, showing that the combination of speed and strategy could carry him deep into the postseason.
From the drop of the green flag, Larson looked to be in the hunt. Starting fourth, he battled near the front in Stage 1, ultimately taking second place in that segment. As the field reset for Stage 2, Larson fought to stay within reach, settling for a sixth-place finish in that middle segment. But what mattered most was his pace over long runs and his ability to stay in the mix when it counted most.
As the final stage began, Larson and Christopher Bell applied early pressure on van Gisbergen, attempting to rattle his rhythm before the Kiwi built his late-race charge. Larson took over the lead briefly during the final stage as pit cycles shuffled the order, but SVG’s long-run strength eventually prevailed.
“I’m happy with a second-place finish for this No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet team,” Larson said. “Shane van Gisbergen (race winner) is just so good. It was a fun battle with Christopher (Bell), too. To start the final stage, we were trying to break up his (SVG) rhythm and race, and I thought it was playing out well.
“He was just so fast. I tried riding. I tried saving my tires, but I just can’t do it as well as he does. But overall, it was a great finish and momentum to head into the Round of Eight.”
Larson knew he left everything on the track, even as van Gisbergen’s pace separated the two in the closing laps.
“A little bit because he was so much faster than me and he bombed it in on [Turn] 7, and he could’ve spun me out,” Larson recalled to Parker Kligerman of NASCAR on USA and NBC. “I was a little bit upset with that. I figured I could pressure him and maybe he’d make a mistake and make it exciting for the fans. He’s just so good and he kicks everybody’s butt. You try to learn behind him, but he pulls away so fast, it’s hard to and honestly, I thought when I got to the lead there, I thought I was managing my tires as good as I could and really not spinning them. He was still murdering me on the long runs. I know he’s extremely good.
“I also think his car probably allows him to free roll a bit more. I was pretty tight and I feel like sometimes when you’re tight in a stock car, you have to work your rear tires too tough. We’ll get our car a little bit better. But overall, it was a great day. I’m happy with my team. We executed an awesome race. We had some good restarts there to get to the lead and just came up one spot short by 15 seconds.”
Kyle Larson drove a patient, tenacious race in Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. (Photo: Chloe Gunn | The Podium Finish)
Larson looks ahead to what’s coming, confident in the upgrades and rhythm he’s built through the season.
“I hope so. It’s so hard to build rhythm and momentum in the Cup Series. I feel like we have been building and although there’s no more road courses left, I feel good about the next round. Vegas has been a great track for us. So I go there with high hopes. Talladega, we’ve been doing really good on superspeedways this year, but you just never know what will happen at those places.
“Martinsville’s been a really good track for us honestly with the 5 team. I do like this next round how it shapes up for us. But it’s tough. I don’t even know who all the eight that’s in there but everybody’s really good. So, it’ll be difficult as always but we’ll see what we’ve got.”
Larson’s performance Sunday was more than just a strong finish. It was redemption and proof that his team can mix aggression with discipline.
The No. 5 Chevrolet fielded by Hendrick Motorsports looked fluid through the twists and altitude changes of the ROVAL, and Larson maximized what he had. Over long green-flag runs he stayed consistent, managing tire falloff better than many around him, and took advantage of restarts to stay in the hunt.
His 27 laps in front represented one of his most dominant stretches of the season on a road course. Even though van Gisbergen outpaced him when it mattered, Larson’s pace during the mid-portion of the race reassured his crew and fans that he remains a legitimate championship threat especially as the playoffs sharpen.
That second place is especially meaningful given it’s Larson’s best road-course finish to date in 2025. It signals that the Hendrick Motorsports team has found gains in setups, balance, and consistency in turning both left and right. In a year where the field remains tightly packed and unforgiving, those incremental gains could matter come November.
Kyle Larson’s No. 5 over-the-wall crew got the job done in Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. (Photo: Chloe Gunn | The Podium Finish)
The ROVAL is notorious for late-race chaos and punishing precision, but this year the drama behind Larson’s charge and van Gisbergen’s mastery overshadowed that. Larson’s finish didn’t come without challenge: his crew called pit stops with split-second timing, selecting tire pressures and wedge adjustments in the pits to try to maintain leverage against SVG’s long-run strength.
At the same time, Larson had to guard against unexpected wildcards such as spins, cautions and track debris, all in play on a technical layout that rewards patience. But he handled restarts wisely, drove inside his limits, and kept his championship math alive.
Sunday’s playoff scenario only added to the stakes. Larson entered as one of the drivers on the bubble in the Round of 12. Anything less than a strong finish might have spelled elimination. But by delivering second, he locked in his Round of 8 berth and shifted the pressure onto his rivals.
Meanwhile, behind him, Bell, Chris Buescher, and others scrambled for points and pace, but Larson never allowed the focus to creep off his own task. He drove his own race, applying pressure when possible, defending when needed, and staying mechanically strong when the field around him cracked.
Kyle Larson gave it all he had in Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. (Photo: Chloe Gunn | The Podium Finish)
In short, Larson earned every inch of that runner-up. He left little doubt that this team will now enter the next round with momentum, confidence, and renewed belief. While van Gisbergen may have taken the win, Larson’s result may matter more for his championship dreams.
As the Cup Series transitions to Las Vegas for the Round of 8 opener, Larson’s mindset is sharpened. He knows no more room for error remains. The road courses are gone, but speed and tenacity will need to carry over to intermediate ovals, superspeedways, and short tracks. With his car improving, his crew solidified, and his mental edge awakened, Larson enters the next round with more than hope — with purpose.
In a season crowded with contenders and storylines, Larson’s second place at the ROVAL may be one of the more defining ones. It reminds the field and the fans that he’s not just surviving the playoffs — he’s hunting. And every track ahead will be his next chance to prove it.
