Ross Chastain, who started last, wins in Charlotte

Chastain wanted only one thing: to be able to thank his mechanics, who worked tirelessly to prepare a brand-new reserve car for him following a test accident on Saturday, in his own way. Starting from the 40th and last position, the man who grew up on a watermelon farm (explaining why he throws one on the ground after every victory) methodically made his way through the field to take on William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports) in the closing laps.

The day before, the Xfinity Series winner, Byron won the first three segments of the race, leading for more than half the race. It was with six laps to go that Chastain managed to capitalize on his attack, taking the lead for good. Once he reached Victory Lane, the Trackhouse driver struggled to find the words to reflect on a feat that had not been achieved in NASCAR Cup Series since 1971, excluding penalties sending a driver to the back of the grid.

“Saturday night, I sat in this car for the first time at the factory. It was about 22 p.m. when I left. They worked until 2:30 a.m. They came back at 5:30 a.m. this morning. Most of them drive 30 to 45 minutes to get home. A quick shower, I think, I don't even know if they slept. They've been getting this car ready for me since 5:30 a.m. this morning, that's how dedicated Trackhouse is. There were people who had their Saturday off yesterday, and they came. And now, by golly, we won the Coca-Cola 600!”

The battle for victory appeared to be heading towards a duel between Byron and Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing), before the latter was forced to make another unscheduled pit stop in the final segment, finishing almost a lap behind. With this first victory of the season, Chastain secured a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

For Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports), the race started much better than it had in Indianapolis. From the opening laps, the 2021 champion took control of the race, until a spin on lap 42. After lightly hitting a wall early in the race, Larson needed several pit stops to try to repair a slightly damaged rear suspension. Larson's race ended after 245 laps in a multi-car crash. Of the 1100 miles he hoped to cover on May 25, he will have covered 595 (227,5 at Indianapolis, 367,5 at Charlotte), or 958 kilometers.

NASCAR – Charlotte
The classification of the race

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