While Shane van Gisbergen stormed to his fifth victory of the season, the tension reached a climax as four drivers—Ross Chastain, Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, and Austin Cindric—were eliminated from the playoffs following Charlotte.
Chastain started the race aiming to snatch the last playoff spot from Joey Logano separated by 13 points. The Trackhouse driver proceeded to secure stage 1 and 2 points and only needed finish four spots ahead of the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion by the final stage.
However, Chastain’s plan was thwarted by Denny Hamlin who got around him on the final lap, meaning he would be tied with Logano at the cutline, with the latter having the tiebreaker.
To remedy this, Chastain lunged into Turn 17 to try running Hamlin over, but ended up spinning both of them costing him a vital spot in the upcoming Round of 8.
Hamlin currently leads the standings with 4,036 points, holding an eight-point advantage above the cutline. Hot on his heels is Ryan Blaney, just two points adrift, while Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson and William Byron round out the top four.
Below the cutline lies Christopher Bell narrowly trailing the leaders by a handful of points but still poised to fight for a spot in the next round. Chase Elliott and Chase Briscoe face a steeper climb, positioned 14 points below the cutline after Charlotte.
Meanwhile, Logano who clinched the final spot in the Round of 8 is 24 points behind the leader but remains in contention thanks to Chastain’s setback.
NASCAR Cup Charlotte ROVAL Race Results 2025
2026 NASCAR Cup Series schedule: All venues and dates
Updated 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings after Charlotte ROVAL
| Rank | Car | Driver | Points | Cutline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | 4,036 | +8 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Blaney | 4,034 | +6 |
| 3 | 5 | Kyle Larson | 4,032 | +4 |
| 4 | 24 | William Byron | 4,032 | +4 |
| CUTLINE | ||||
| 5 | 20 | Christopher Bell | 4,028 | -4 |
| 6 | 9 | Chase Elliott | 4,018 | -14 |
| 7 | 19 | Chase Briscoe | 4,018 | -14 |
| 8 | 22 | Joey Logano | 4,008 | -24 |
| ELIMINATED | ||||
| 9 | 45 | Tyler Reddick | 2,187 | OUT |
| 10 | 23 | Bubba Wallace | 2,177 | OUT |
| 11 | 1 | Ross Chastain | 2,172 | OUT |
| 12 | 88 | Shane Van Gisbergen | 2,142 | OUT |
| 13 | 48 | Alex Bowman | 2,110 | OUT |
| 14 | 2 | Austin Cindric | 2,094 | OUT |
| 15 | 3 | Austin Dillon | 2,092 | OUT |
| 16 | 21 | Josh Berry | 2,078 | OUT |
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