Despite sweeping the first three stages and leading 283 of 400 laps, William Byron failed to finish the job in Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. And for that, you can blame Ross Chastain.
Starting last in a backup car, Chastain methodically moved his way forward and grabbed the lead for the first time when he seized it from Byron on Lap 348 of 400.
Although he held the top spot for just two laps, Chastain regained the lead with six laps remaining and never looked back.
Chastain’s total number of laps in command of the Coca-Cola 600 field? Eight.
The differential in laps spent out front ultimately didn’t matter, though. The Trackhouse Racing driver led when it counted most — at the checkered flag.
“We just marched our way through the field tonight,” Chastain said.
COMEBACK COMPLETE 😤
Ross Chastain wins at Charlotte! #NASCARonPrime pic.twitter.com/5CLwtg79bH
— Sports on Prime (@SportsonPrime) May 26, 2025
Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron, Kyle Larson Lament Disappointments
William Byron, a Charlotte native who’d enjoyed quite the homecoming week, gave it all he had but couldn’t hold off Ross Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet in the final laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“I was just defending,” said Byron, who won the previous day’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Charlotte and just signed a multi-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports. “He was catching me, and I was trying to just defend. … He got a run on me and was able to get to the bottom and clear me off of Turn 2.
“It’s disappointing just to lead that many laps (and not win).”
In spite of falling short, Byron regained the NASCAR Cup Series points lead from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, who went for a solo spin early in the race and crashed out on Lap 246 with his involvement in a multi-car wreck not of his own making.
Attempting the Indy 500/Coca-Cola 600 double for the second year in a row, Larson saw his race at Indianapolis end in similar fashion — in a multi-car crash.
“Just not the day that I wanted, but huge thanks to everybody involved in making the day memorable,” Larson said. “It’s just unfortunate, but hopefully we can run it back someday.”
Not the kind of Indy-Charlotte Double that Kyle Larson was going for pic.twitter.com/lwwOf8Q0Ui
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) May 25, 2025
Ross Chastain Enjoys A Celebration For The Ages At The Coca-Cola 600
Ross Chastain, who wrecked his primary car in Saturday practice at Charlotte, celebrated his victory on the frontstretch in his trademark fashion: by smashing a watermelon on the ground.
Then, the eighth-generation watermelon farmer did something far less predictable: He ventured up into the stands and shared some pieces of the watermelon — that he’d already been eating on — with fans.
“If you offered people in a normal setting watermelon that different people have bitten off of, nobody would on it,” Chastain said. “In the moment, I’m eating it, they’re eating it, I’m eating it again. It doesn’t matter. When you win Cup races, the rules go out the window.”
Watermelon, for everyone! 🍉
We live in the greatest country, protected by our nation’s greatest men and women. I’m here to take it all in. 🇺🇸#MelonPartner #WatermelonEveryday #BeASponge pic.twitter.com/fZ7a7kREhW
— Ross Chastain (@RossChastain) May 26, 2025
As for the bigger picture, Chastain’s Coca-Cola 600 win guarantees him a berth in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs a year after failing to make the cut.
That’s quite a load off the driver and team, who prior to last season had reached the playoffs in their two previous seasons together.
“In this sport, the goal every season is a championship, and if you don’t make the playoffs, you don’t even have the opportunity to compete for that,” crew chief Phil Surgen said. “So winning a race in the regular season, advancing to the playoffs is huge.
“It just ensures that you still are capable of achieving the ultimate goal.”
