FROM WORST TO FIRST: CHASTAIN CLAIMS THE COCA-COLA 600

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Ross Chastain battled from the back of the field and chased down a dominant William Byron late in the Coca-Cola 600 to win the crown jewel event on Sunday.

Chastain started last in the 40 car field due to a crash in practice and his Trackhouse Racing crew went into overtime to prepare a backup car. The team worked late into the night on Saturday and early Sunday morning, getting the new car ready for NASCAR’s longest event on the schedule.

“I don't even know if they slept,” Chastain told Marty Smith of Prime Sports. “That's the dedication it takes from Trackhouse, there was people there that had their Saturdays off yesterday, and they came in.”

Once the green flag dropped, Chastain methodically moved through the pack. Chastain said he “didn't get too happy” passing cars and “didn’t get too sad” after an early caution set him back.

By the fourth stage of the 400 lap race, Chastain made his way into striking distance in the battle for the win. In the end, a slight miscue between crew chief Phil Surgen and Chastain paid off. 

“I went two laps longer,” before pitting for tires, Chastain said. “These Goodyear Eagles held on longer because they were a little bit fresher and holy cow, we just won the World 600.”

The winning pass came with just six laps left as Chastain drove to the bottom of turn one and drifted up to clear William Byron. Chastain is the first driver to win from last since 1969.

In shades of 2025 Spring Darlington, Byron and his team came up short after dominating the day. Byron led a new career high of 283 laps and swept all three stages, earning 65 points overall.

“I don't really have any words for it,” Byron told reporters after the race. “I think if I try to defend anymore into one, I’d probably just get loose and crash.”

Byron did reclaim the top spot on the standings by 29 points, but will search for his first victory since the Daytona 500. Byron’s teammate Kyle Larson also didn’t have the day he hoped for.

Larson’s bid to complete both the Indianapolis 500 and Coke 600 resulted in a double DNF. A restart wreck at Indy took him out before halfway and trouble plagued Larson in Charlotte.

The 600 started strong for Larson, leading 34 of the first 41 laps, but a spin from first cost him a lap. Larson got his lap back and battled into the top 15, then was collected in a crash on lap 247.

Heartbreak also befell 2022 Coke 600 winner Denny Hamlin and Carson Hocevar, who ran top-five all race. Hocevar’s engine let go battling Hamlin for the lead with 92 laps remaining.

Hamlin, who led 54 laps on the night, found misfortune in the pits late in the run to the finish. The crew had an issue fueling the National Debt Relief Toyota and they had to pit again for gas.

Hocevar was out of the race in 34th while Hamlin rallied back to 16th place. Chase Briscoe, A.J. Allmendinger and Brad Keselowksi completed the top five, all earning their season best results.

The time of the race was clocked in at 4 hours and 25 minutes, with eight caution for 52 laps. Across the 600 mile event, it featured 34 changes for the lead between 11 different drivers.

The next stop on the Cup schedule is in Nashville, Tennessee for the Cracker Barrel 400. The world’s best stock car drivers tackle 300 laps around the 1.33-mile Nashville Superspeedway.

Reigning NASCAR Champion Joey Logano enters the weekend as the defending race winner. Race coverage is exclusively streamed on Prime Video starting at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday June 1.