Ross Chastain and his entire Trackhouse Racing crew have wrestled with qualifying struggles all season. Yet, he somehow found ways to harness speed, achieving two top-five and four other top-ten finishes before Charlotte. This weekend, however, Chastain engraved his name into the record books by conquering the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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Starting at the rear end in P40, Chastain clawed his way through the field to seize his first victory of the season. Forced to skip qualifying, he rolled off last but executed a patient, methodical charge forward. William Byron had dominated, leading 283 of 400 laps and sweeping the first three stages of NASCAR’s grueling marathon.
But Chastain took command in the final six laps, diving beneath Byron’s Chevrolet into Turn 1 on Lap 394 and clearing him by Turn 2. He crossed the line 0.673 seconds ahead of Byron, capturing his first career win at Charlotte and his sixth overall.
This win was in stark contrast to his Saturday practice, when Chastain blew a tire on his #1 Chevrolet, careened into the outside wall between Turns 3 and 4, and forced his team to prepare a backup car. Hence, not only did he claw from last to win, but he did so in that hastily-prepared machine.
Chastain’s achievement matched a feat last accomplished by Bobby Allison in 1969. He became the first driver in 56 years to win a Cup Series race from an official starting position of last, in a race that featured 34 lead changes — the most in the Coca-Cola 600 since 2014.
After starting last (40th), Ross Chastain wins the Coca-Cola 600. He is the first driver to win from an official starting position of last since Bobby Allison at Richmond Fairgrounds in 1969.
The race saw 34 lead changes, the most in a Coca-Cola 600 since 2014 pic.twitter.com/qpJfPVKRlF
— NASCAR Insights (@NASCARInsights) May 26, 2025
After finishing Stage 1 in 21st, Chastain climbed to seventh by the end of Stage 2. Stage 3 saw him running with the front runners, ultimately advancing to fifth. In the final stage, he navigated past Denny Hamlin, who was running low on fuel, before engaging in a fierce battle with the dominant #24 Chevrolet of William Byron.
Chastain’s decisive move came when he dove low and slid up as Byron brushed the wall and was unable to counter. The #1 Trackhouse Racing driver surged ahead, claimed the win, and celebrated with his signature watermelon smash.
