Chase Briscoe, Kyle Larson, and Austin Dillon look to make noise at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Sunday’s Bank of America 400.
Race: Bank of America 400
Date: Sunday October 11, 2026
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Time: 3pm ET
Channel: USA
What Did We Learn From Last Weekend?
Chase Briscoe took the win at Vegas after having a strong run throughout the entire race! Not only did he win the race by 1.376 seconds over second place Kyle Larson, but he dominated in leading 175 of 267 laps on the day. It was a bittersweet win after coming in runner-up to Larson just last weekend at Kansas. It was definitely a race of pit strategy and tire management. Larson admitted challenges with his tires in the closing laps where he was just unable to chase down Briscoe when it was all said and done. Honestly, second place was quite an amazing finish after watching how poorly his car was handling in the opening stage. He lost a lap and managed to come back. It’s a testimony to his driving skill.
Speaking of driving skill, Denny Hamlin somehow managed to spin himself out early on. He got loose and seemed to skate up the track, but the guy who won the last 2 Vegas races managed a respectable 16th place finish when all was said and done. It’s honestly a tough pill to swallow when you’re competing for a championship and this is supposedly one of your best tracks. Teammate Ty Gibbs struggled after a pit road penalty and landed behind Hamlin in 17th when the checked flag dropped. Tyler Reddick, Austin Cindric, and Ryan Blaney all had strong days rounding out the top 5. William Byron, Chase Elliott, Bubba Wallace, Shane Van Gisbergen, and Joey Logano were your top 10 finishers. That was a great showing for SVG, who is still working on confidence on the oval tracks.
Where Are We Headed This Weekend?
This weekend, he’ll have another shot at an intermediate oval as the drivers and teams head back to the East coast and race at Charlotte. This cookie-cutter 1.5 mile asphalt oval boasts 24 degrees of banking in the turns and 5 degrees on the straights. It similar to Vegas in speed but we’ll see that track position is absolutely critical here. The field spreads out quite a bit, and qualifying will matter. Charlotte can lead to fuel mileage challenges as well, so maintaining a front runner spot and keeping your eyes on the gas is going to be a winning combination.
Odds and Value Picks
When considering our outright winners, we must take into consideration the best on these intermediate tracks. Undoubtedly, that leaves us with a handful of top tier drivers and a few that are strong contenders heading into this weekend’s race. Current NASCAR odds are available at Bovada. Here’s a look at your potential winners:
Winner: Kyle Larson (+450)
Tired of him yet? Get used to it. He’s without question the hottest drivers on this configuration this year and in years past. He posts top level speeds here each and every race, has a win back in 2021 here, and is coming off some amazing finishes in the Chase so far. Kyle is looking for another win and feather in his cap towards this year’s championship.
Mid-Range Pick: Chase Briscoe (+650)
If we’re being honest, Briscoe is not quite championship material…yet. He proved last week at Vegas, however, that he’s well on his way. With the best average finish at Charlotte and coming off that win from last Sunday, Briscoe will likely bring the same speed and contention.
Dark Horse: Austin Dillon (+25000)
Dillon’s first ever Cup career win came at Charlotte. That was many years ago, but he can maneuver around this track pretty well. He’s had a rough season but this might be a good place for Dillon to gain some momentum as the season closes out.
Dillon is not a Chase contender but both Briscoe and Larson are. Larson continues to gap Hamlin for the points lead as we move through the weeks. Let’s see where everyone stands after Vegas:
1. Kyle Larson
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Christopher Bell
4. Joey Logano
5. Ryan Blaney
6. Chase Briscoe
7. Tyler Reddick
8. Ty Gibbs
9. Austin Cindric
10. Bubba Wallace
11. Carson Hocevar
12. William Byron
13. Chase Elliott
14. Daniel Suarez
15. Chris Buescher
16. Ryan Preece
Suarez gained two positions after his run at Vegas, and Charlotte is poised to be another strong finish for him. Don’t count him out. Ryan Preece may have been laughing at Hocevar, but he continues to struggle, falling to 16th after Sunday’s race. Briscoe and Gibbs swapped spots as well, but that was all the movement we saw after Vegas. Larson is now 40 points above Hamlin. Denny has some work to do. Who will prevail and make the most out of Charlotte? Stay tuned and see as we enjoy a great afternoon of racing for Sunday’s running of the Bank of America 400!
