Ross Chastain just did something that shouldn't be possible. Honestly, if you watched the practice session on Saturday, you probably would’ve bet your house against the No. 1 car even finishing the race, let alone winning it. He wrecked. Hard. The team had to stay up until the sun was basically peaking over the grandstands just to piece together a backup car.
But then, last night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the "Melon Man" went from the very last spot on the grid to the front of the pack.
Who won the Coca-Cola 600 last night?
Ross Chastain is your winner. He took the checkered flag in the 2025 Coca-Cola 600 after a late-race surge that left the dominant William Byron wondering what hit him.
Chastain started 40th. Dead last.
The history books are going to be screaming about this one for a while because it’s the first time since Bobby Allison in 1969 that a driver has won a Cup race from the final starting position. In the modern era? It’s never happened. Until now. Chastain tracked down Byron with just six laps to go, used a bit of lap traffic to his advantage, and dove into Turn 1 to snatch the lead. He didn't just win; he demoralized a Hendrick Motorsports team that had led 283 of the 400 laps.
The Chaos and the Comeback
You’ve got to feel for William Byron. The guy swept the first three stages. He looked untouchable. But the Coke 600 is a marathon, not a sprint, and Charlotte is notorious for changing its personality as the sun goes down.
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While Byron was cruising, the rest of the field was busy falling apart.
What happened to Kyle Larson?
The "Double" dream died a painful death last night. Kyle Larson was trying to pull off the legendary Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 feat in the same day. It went poorly. He crashed out of Indy, hopped on a plane, got to Charlotte, and then... crashed again.
On Lap 245, Larson got caught in a nasty multi-car pileup involving Ryan Blaney and Daniel Suarez. He finished 37th. It was a "bummer of a day," to put it lightly.
Denny Hamlin's Fuel Nightmare
Denny Hamlin was the only one who really looked like he could challenge Byron for most of the night. They swapped the lead nine times in the third stage alone. It was world-class racing.
But then, the pit crew blinked.
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During the final green-flag stop, the crew didn't get the second can of fuel into the No. 11 Toyota. Hamlin had to limp back to pit road with 12 laps left, effectively handing the podium to someone else. He ended up 16th.
The Final Top 10 Results
If you missed the broadcast, the leaderboard looks a bit different than what the first 300 laps suggested. Here is how the front runners shook out:
- Ross Chastain (Trackhouse Racing)
- William Byron (Hendrick Motorsports)
- Chase Briscoe (Joe Gibbs Racing)
- AJ Allmendinger (Kaulig Racing)
- Brad Keselowski (RFK Racing)
- Chase Elliott
- Michael McDowell
- Christopher Bell
- Ryan Preece
- Noah Gragson
Chase Briscoe’s third-place finish is actually a massive story on its own. He started on the pole, got slapped with a penalty on the very first pit stop, and spent 500 miles clawing back into the conversation.
Why this win matters for Trackhouse
Trackhouse Racing has been in a bit of a "rebuilding" phase lately. Team owner Justin Marks called the win a "masterclass in never giving up."
It’s easy to forget that after Chastain wrecked in practice, he wasn't even at the track at 2:00 AM. His crew was. They left at 2:30 AM and were back at 5:30 AM. When you win a Crown Jewel like the Coca-Cola 600 with a car that was a pile of parts 24 hours earlier, it does something to the morale of a shop.
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Chastain was emotional after the race. He did his signature "backwards victory lap" because he said he wanted to celebrate like his heroes. And honestly? He earned it. Passing Byron—who had the fastest car all night—on fresher tires in the closing minutes was a tactical beauty.
How to use these insights for your Fantasy NASCAR league
If you’re looking at the season moving forward, here is the takeaway from Charlotte:
- Don't count out the backup cars. The Next Gen car is resilient, and teams are getting better at setting up "off-the-shelf" chassis for race day.
- Watch the long-run speed. Byron was the king of the short sprints, but Chastain and the No. 1 team gambled on a long-run balance. It paid off when the race stayed green at the end.
- The "Double" is still cursed. Larson's luck (or lack thereof) shows just how much physical and mental toll this specific weekend takes on a driver.
The Cup Series moves to Nashville Superspeedway next week. Considering Chastain is a past winner there and now has all the momentum in the world, he’s probably the guy to beat.
Check your local listings for the Nashville race times, as the summer stretch is officially heating up. If last night was any indication, the playoff race is going to be absolutely wild.