Larson surged from 11th to first on the final lap, stretching his Chase lead over Denny Hamlin to 73 points with two races left.
Kyle Larson finally won at Talladega, and he did it the hard way, charging from 11th to first on the last lap of the 2.66-mile oval in his 24th career start there. His own team barely recognized the result. Crew chief Cliff Daniels admitted he had to ask where victory lane even was, since he had never been there before at this track.
The win matters well beyond Talladega bragging rights. Larson now carries a 73-point lead over Denny Hamlin into the final two races of the season, with Christopher Bell 74 back and Chase Briscoe 79 behind. Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and Tyler Reddick are all at least 100 points out, effectively out of the picture.
Next up is Martinsville, a track where Larson and Hendrick Motorsports have historically been strong, followed by the season finale at Homestead. A driver can score a maximum of 76 points in a single race, meaning Larson needs just 79 points over the final two events to clinch his third Cup Series championship regardless of what the rest of the field does.
The margin gives Larson significant breathing room heading into NASCAR's postseason stretch run.