NASCAR starting lineup for Las Vegas: Larson, Byron, Bowman make top 10

LAS VEGAS, Nevada - Getting off to a good start in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs Round of 8 began with securing a good starting position during qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday. 

Three of the four Hendrick Motorsports contingent will fire off from the top 10 on Sunday thanks to solid, single-lap runs. 

Sunday's race is set to start at 2:30 p.m. and will air on NBC. 

Alex Bowman led the group, turning in a lap of 29.195 seconds to earn the third position on the starting grid. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson (fifth) and William Byron (ninth) are just behind with Chase Elliott rounding out the group in the 18th spot. 

RELATED: See highlights from Kyle Larson's dominant win at the Charlotte ROVAL

Track position could be extremely advantageous for Larson, Byron and even Elliott, all of whom are still in the playoff hunt. Larson is currently the playoff points leader with Byron on the right side of the elimination line by four points. Elliott meanwhile is seventh and needs to make up nine points over the next three races. 

Nobody in the Cup Series has been better than Larson at Las Vegas, especially as of late. The driver of the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet enters Sunday's race having won two races in a row in Sin City and also swept both stages in each of those events. 

Both Byron and Bowman have also visited victory lane at Las Vegas. For Byron, a second win on Sunday would send him to the Championship 4 for the second year in a row. 

Here's a look at the full starting grid for Sunday's opener in the Round of 8: 

NASCAR qualifying lineup for Sunday

1. Christopher Bell, No. 20
2. Tyler Reddick, No. 45
3. Alex Bowman, No. 48 Ally Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
4. Denny Hamlin, No. 11
5. Kyle Larson, No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
6. Carson Hocevar, No. 77
7. Ross Chastain, No. 1
8. Ty Gibbs, No. 54
9. William Byron, No. 24 RAPTOR Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
10. Joey Logano, No. 22
11. Austin Cindric, No. 2
12. Martin Truex Jr., No. 19
13. Austin Dillon, No. 3
14. Zane Smith, No. 71
15. Michael McDowell, No. 34
16. Justin Haley, No. 7
17. Brad Keselowski, No. 6
18. Chase Elliott, No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
19. Bubba Wallace, No. 23
20. Kyle Busch, No. 8
21. Noah Gragson, No. 10
22. Chris Buescher, No. 17
23. Daniel Suarez, No. 99
24. Chase Briscoe, No. 14
25. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47
26. John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42
27. Erik Jones, No. 43
28. Josh Berry, No. 4
29. Jimmie Johnson, No. 84
30. Todd Gilliland, No. 38
31. Harrison Burton, No. 21
32. Ryan Preece, No. 41
33. Daniel Hemric, No. 31
34. Shane van Gisbergen, No. 16
35. Corey LaJoie, No. 51
36. Cody Ware, No. 15
37. Ryan Blaney, No. 12

NASCAR Cup standings