Kyle Larson earns spot in NASCAR’s championship race with victory at Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kyle Larson edged Christopher Bell at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway finish line to become the first driver locked into NASCAR’s championship race. The 2021 Cup champion earned the first of four spots in the Nov. 5 title-deciding finale with his win Sunday. A win in any of the three playoff races this round earns an automatic berth into the championship finale. The remaining slots are filled based on the points standings. Bell, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney and Christopher Buescher are the four drivers below the cutline. The win capped a week for Larson in which he began his preparations for next year’s Indianapolis 500. Larson plans to run both the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 next May and on Thursday completed the rookie orientation program at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.