CONCORD, N.C. — Ross Chastain handed William Byron with six laps left and gained the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night time at Charlotte Motor Speedway, changing into the primary driver to win the occasion after beginning behind the sector.
William Byron gained the primary three phases and led 283 laps, however surrendered the result in Chastain, who began in fortieth place and led simply eight laps in his first NASCAR Cup Collection victory of the yr.
It was an enormous enhance to Trackhouse Racing, and a bitter disappointment for Byron, the Charlotte native who had signed a four-year contract extension Friday with Hendrick Motorsports. Byron has completed within the high three within the final three Coca-Cola 600s with out profitable.
Chastain stated his crew stayed up all night time to construct him one other automobile after a crash in follow on Saturday.
“To drive on that closing run within the 600 and cross two automobiles that had been higher than me all night time, wow,” stated Chastain, who celebrated by standing on his automobile and slamming a watermelon down on the observe as has turn out to be his custom following a victory. “Holy cow! We simply gained the 600.”
Chastain stated the plan was the repair the unique automobile after the wreck, however NASCAR intervened. It may need been a superb factor they did.
“We thought we had been going to have to repair the first and NASCAR stated, no, there’s something bent (so) go construct one other one,” Chastain stated. “That is how we did that.”
Byron left the observe dissatisfied over his incapability to take care of the lead.
“He was catching me and I used to be making an attempt to defend and I used to be getting a bit tight,” Byron stated. “He obtained a run on me and was in a position to resolve the observe off of two. It is disappointing to steer that many laps… It simply sucks. We are going to attempt to hold going and put collectively some races like that.”
Byron turned the primary driver to brush the primary three phases at NASCAR’s longest race, however discovered himself in a battle with Denny Hamlin the ultimate 100 laps. They exchanged lead just a few instances earlier than each drivers pitted with 52 laps for one closing refill on fuel.
However Hamlin did not get sufficient gasoline in his automobile and must pit once more, falling out of rivalry. He would end sixteenth.
Chastain, operating in a backup automobile, ran down Byron for his sixth Cup Collection win and first crown jewel victory. Pole-sitter Chase Briscoe completed third.
Kyle Larson’s day ended the best way it began on the Indianapolis 500 — with a wreck.
Larson arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway through helicopter greater than an hour forward of the beginning of the race after crashing out on the Indianapolis 500 in his failed second try to finish “The Double.”
In North Carolina, he began on the entrance row and ran out to the early lead earlier than hitting the wall in Flip 3 on lap 38.
A number of laps later his automobile obtained free, sending him spinning throughout the entrance straightaway and bringing out the race’s first warning flag. However Larson was in a position to regain management of his automobile and forestall any additional injury to his No. 5 Chevrolet earlier than heading to the pits for changes that compelled him to the again of the sector.
However Larson obtained caught up in a wreck involving Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe and Daniel Suarez, sending him behind the wall. He completed thirty seventh.
JOHNSON MAKES EARLY EXIT
Jimmie Johnson’s bid for a record-tying fifth Coca-Cola 600 victory ended early within the second stage when he hit the wall in Flip 4, inflicting extreme injury to his No. 84 Toyota and knocking him out of the race. The seven-time Cup Collection champion completed final in fortieth place.
“I made a rookie mistake,” Johnson stated, who was making his 700th profession Cup Collection begin. “The visitors conditions are totally different with this automobile and I reacted in a manner I should not have.”
HALFTIME TRIBUTE
Protecting with custom, drivers pulled their automobiles down pit street to an entire cease for a second of silence as a part of the Memorial Day weekend tribute to “honor and keep in mind” these service members who’ve misplaced their lives.