Cup Series: Chastain spoils the playoff drivers with Kansas victory

Written by Sean McKean

Credit - Alejandro Alvarez / NASCAR Digital Media

After long battles with both Kyle Busch and William Byron, Ross Chastain finally took his first win of the season. It was his fifth career win.

As it unfolded

Although Christopher Bell led away from the pole, chaos unfolded in the back. After receiving a squeeze into the wall, Harrison Burton spun and collected Josh Berry, Ty Dillon and Jimmie Johnson in a crash. Berry retired from the damage, and Johnson and Burton lost laps to repairs.

Bell led the way on Lap 7 for a cleaner restart this time around. He sat ahead of Ty Gibbs and William Byron.

But, another caution came out on Lap 19 – this time, for number-one-seeded Kyle Larson. Going into Turn 1, the 2021 champion suffered a right-rear flat tyre, sending him into the outside wall. Thanks to his position relative to the barrier, though, he continued on the lead lap with a few repairs.

All lead-lap drivers took to the pits under caution.

Bell led once again on the Lap 25 restart, now on fresh tyres and with enough fuel to make it to the end of the stage. He led until Lap 71, when he tapped the wall whilst battling with William Byron – allowing the Hendrick driver to take the lead.

Byron held onto the lead to take the stage victory, followed by Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney.

Stage 1 Results:

1. No. 24 - William Byron [Playoffs]

2. No. 22 - Joey Logano [Playoffs]

3. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney [Playoffs]

4. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin [Playoffs]

5. No. 20 - Christopher Bell [Playoffs]

6. No. 54 - Ty Gibbs

7. No. 2 - Austin Cindric [Playoffs]

8. No. 19 - Martin Truex 

9. No. 48 - Alex Bowman [Playoffs]

10. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar

Byron remained on the point to take the lead in stage two on Lap 87. He led until the next caution on Lap 98, when Erik Jones lost it off of Turn 4. 

Akin to the caution in the first stage, all drivers took to the pits this time. Kyle Busch and Bell were the first drivers out.

Busch managed to stay ahead on the Lap 105 restart via push by Joey Logano, but Bell got a great run one lap later to take the lead back. 

With a fast car, Ryan Blaney eventually ran down Bell to take the lead on Lap 140, but only four laps later, the caution came out for a spin by Daniel Hemric out of Turn 2.

All drivers took to the pits yet again. Zane Smith won the race off pit road after a two-tyre stop.

Smith briefly led the way on the Lap 149 restart, but Bell quickly dispatched him to take the lead. The caution came back out, however, as Justin Haley spun and collected John Hunter Nemechek in the incident. They both drove away with little damage.

Bell restarted as the leader. Only three laps later, though, Austin Cindric went for a spin on the backstretch, bringing out another caution. 

Pit road was busy, but the field stayed split on staying out versus pitting. 

Four laps remained in the stage as Bell led the way again, but Alex Bowman snatched the lead away from him off of Turn 2, followed thereafter by the Joe Gibbs driver hitting the wall again. 

Bowman led comfortably until stage’s end followed by Ty Gibbs and Ryan Blaney.

Stage 2 Results: 

1. No. 48 - Alex Bowman [Playoffs]

2. No. 54 - Ty Gibbs 

3. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney [Playoffs]

4. No. 24 - William Byron [Playoffs]

5. No. 6 - Brad Keselowski

6. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar

7. No. 8 - Kyle Busch

8. No. 19 - Martin Truex

9. No. 9 - Chase Elliott [Playoffs]

10. No. 14 - Chase Briscoe [Playoffs]

Having pitted during the last stage two caution, Carson Hocevar began the final stage in the lead on Lap 172. Hocevar then lost the lead to Ross Chastain six laps later.

The playoff picture took a hit for Ryan Blaney on Lap 192, when the defending champion was called into the pits to fix a loose left-rear tyre. He performed a normal stop, but the fuel window would not be in favour of the number-12 squad.

On Lap 205, Busch finally broke through to take the lead from Chastain. At the same time, green flag pit stops began. Once everything cycled through, Busch held the lead. 

However, Ross Chastain fought back with 42 laps remaining to take the lead back, but Busch quickly took it back. 

Busch’s best opportunity to take his first win nearly went up in smoke with only 32 laps to go. Busch – approaching Briscoe to lap him – didn’t cut the two-time champion any slack, putting Busch into the wall and into a spin. 

Everyone elected to pit under the caution, and Martin Truex won the race off of pit road.

The race resumed with 26 laps to go, and Truex led the way still after an over-aggressive move from Bowman on outside front-row Brad Keselowski. 

Chastain started reeling in the 2017 champion, but a crash from Carson Hocevar on the backstretch brought out the caution once again one lap later. 

With 20 laps remaining, Chastain dispatched of Truex on the restart with Byron following suit. Despite pressure from Byron behind, Ross Chastain hung on to take his first win of the season and spoil the playoff drivers. Byron was close behind in second and Truex finished third.

Provisional Results:

1. No. 1 - Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)

2. No. 24 - William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports) [Playoffs]

3. No. 19 - Martin Truex (Joe Gibbs Racing)

4. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney (Team Penske) [Playoffs]

5. No. 54 - Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing)

6. No. 48 - Alex Bowman (Hendrick Motorsports) [Playoffs]

7. No. 20 - Christopher Bell (Joe Gibbs Racing) [Playoffs]

8. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing) [Playoffs]

9. No. 9 - Chase Elliott (Hendrick Motorsports) [Playoffs]

10. No. 71 - Zane Smith (Spire Motorsports)

11. No. 17 - Chris Buescher (Roush Fenway-Keselowski Racing)

12. No. 3 - Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing)

13. No. 99 - Daniel Suarez (Trackhouse Racing) [Playoffs]

14. No. 22 - Joey Logano (Team Penske) [Playoffs]

15. No. 51 - Corey Lajoie (Rick Ware Racing)

16. No. 41 - Ryan Preece (Stewart-Haas Racing)

17. No. 23 - Bubba Wallace (23XI Racing)

18. No. 10 - Noah Gragson (Stewart-Haas Racing)

19. No. 8 - Kyle Busch (Richard Childress Racing)

20. No. 31 - Daniel Hemric (Kaulig Racing)

21. No. 16 - Ty Dillon (Kaulig Racing)

22. No. 6 - Brad Keselowski (Roush Fenway-Keselowski Racing)

23. No. 21 - Harrison Burton (Wood Brothers Racing)

24. No. 14 - Chase Briscoe (Stewart-Haas Racing) [Playoffs]

25. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick (23XI Racing) [Playoffs]

26. No. 5 - Kyle Larson (Hendrick Motorsports) [Playoffs]

27. No. 38 - Todd Gilliland (Front Row Motorsports)

28. No. 47 - Ricky Stenhouse (JTG-Daugherty Racing)

29. No. 34 - Michael McDowell (Front Row Motorsports)

30. No. 42 - John Hunter Nemechek (Legacy Motor Club)

31. No. 15 - Kaz Grala (Rick Ware Racing)

32. No. 77 - Carson Hocevar (Spire Motorsports)

33. No. 7 - Justin Haley (Spire Motorsports) +1 lap

34. No. 2 - Austin Cindric (Team Penske) [Playoffs] +4 laps

35. No. 43 - Erik Jones (Legacy Motor Club) +4 laps

36. No. 84 - Jimmie Johnson (Legacy Motor Club) +10 laps

37. No. 44 - JJ Yeley (NY Racing) [DNF]

38. No. 4 - Josh Berry (Stewart-Haas Racing) [DNF]

After turbulent races from a few playoff drivers, the playoff picture looks like this:

Provisional Playoff Picture:

1. No. 24 - William Byron: +34

2. No. 12 - Ryan Blaney: +28

3. No. 20 - Christopher Bell: +28

4. No. 5 - Kyle Larson: +18

5. No. 11 - Denny Hamlin: +11

6. No. 48 - Alex Bowman: +8

7. No. 9 - Chase Elliott: +4

8. No. 22 - Joey Logano: +4

Playoff Cut Line

1. No. 45 - Tyler Reddick: -4

2. No. 99 - Daniel Suarez: -14

3. No. 14 - Chase Briscoe: -25

4. No. 2 - Austin Cindric: -29