Sunday’s race at the Texas Motor Speedway was no dull affair. A track record of 16 cautions came out over 276 laps and rendered it a very happening race that was ultimately won by Hendrick Motorsports star Chase Elliott. The last of the 16 cautions was caused by Elliott’s teammate William Byron when he tagged Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain in the final lap.
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Byron and Chastain were attempting to take the lead from Elliott after he’d taken the white flag when the unfortunate incident went down. The melon man was running second and Byron third, when the latter made contact from behind and caused the Trackhouse Racing driver to wiggle and spin out. The caution effectively ended the race and Byron was awarded a 3rd place finish while Chastain was pushed down to 32nd.
Despite the move seeming to be a below-the-belt hit from Byron, it wasn’t the case. Former racer Kenny Wallace took it to his YouTube channel to break down the move and acquit the HMS driver of wrongdoing. He noted how Chastain was running a bit too high before realization struck and he began letting go of the gas. Byron, who was close behind, took the opportunity to try passing him but hit his back in the process.
Wallace said, “He was running high and I think you know what it looked like. He got high, high, high, and he’s like, ‘Oh!’, and he starts letting out of the gas. William Byron does not wreck people… and he just ran… He packed him right in the ass. Yes, he did spin him out. All hell breaks loose.” Chastain was understandably left frustrated after the race. Brad Keselowski was given the 2nd place finish ahead of Byron.
William Byron regrets hurting the chances of a fellow Chevrolet driver
The Trackhouse Racing driver refused an interview coming to the pit road while Byron got in front of the cameras to express his regret. The HMS driver mentioned that he hadn’t intended to spin Chastain out and was forced to do so in the final lap of the race. “Ross (Chastain) and I raced really well, and I didn’t want to wreck him there, but he blocked me late, which is understood,” he said, reported NBC Sports.
He continued, “It’s racing at the end, but I was already there and, unfortunately, we made enough contact to where it got him squirrelly and it happened. So, I hate that that happened, but it’s the last lap and I had the run so I am going to just take the run. I didn’t expect it, but I don’t want to do that to a fellow Chevy guy, and we always race really well.”
Despite Byron’s words of peace, Chastain might not get over the matter easily. He is yet to find the victory lane this season and stands 11th in the points table. He had a solid chance at finishing second or even first in Texas until Byron intervened.
