BUILT for the Playoffs: Round of 8 off to a scorching start following Las Vegas

After the seventh race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs concluded at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, here’s a quick look at the playoff picture. WINNER Kyle Larson not only led 133 laps but also earned max points on the day and held off Christopher Bell to the checkered flag by 0.082 seconds. After just skating by in the Round of 12, Larson definitely put on a heater in the desert. He won the first two stages of the race and has a lot of positives to take away from his Chevrolet's performance as he heads into the next two races with full steam. RELATED: Race results | At-track photos WHO'S HOT? Denny Hamlin. After hitting a few bumps last week in Charlotte, Hamlin surged back to competing up front at Las Vegas after qualifying the worst out of the eight playoff drivers. Hamlin certainly has the race craft to be in the mix every weekend. Christopher Bell. It was a hard-fought day for Bell, with his battle with Larson in qualifying continuing right over to the final laps of Sunday's race. Bell flat-out had the speed to win, but his last pit stop before the checkered flag was just a bit slower than Larson's and may have been a factor in keeping him out of Victory Lane. WHO'S NOT? Tyler Reddick. After roaring back last week to put himself in the Round of 8, Reddick was quiet all day in Vegas and sits 16 points below the elimination line. On the bright side, Reddick will be eager to head to Homestead-Miami Speedway as it is one of his best tracks, with two top-five finishes in three starts. Chris Buescher. While Buescher has looked the best out of the two Fords overall in the playoffs, the intermediate tracks have not been the No. 17's friend. A mix of slow pit stops and not gaining any track positions during the race leave him looking way outside of being in the hunt. NEXT RACE The Round of 8 continues at Homestead-Miami for the 4EVER 400 Presented by Mobil 1 on Oct. 22 (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App). [table id=108 /]