Honestly, if you're looking for a simple name to answer who won the NASCAR Charlotte race, you’ve gotta specify which one you mean. Charlotte is unique. It’s the home of NASCAR. Most teams literally live within a 30-mile radius of the track, so everybody brings their "A" game. In 2025, we had two massive stories at this track that couldn't have been more different.
One was a 600-mile test of endurance. The other was a chaotic road-course shootout.
The Historic Comeback: Ross Chastain’s Coca-Cola 600 Win
Last May, Ross Chastain did something that basically shouldn't be possible in modern racing. He won the 2025 Coca-Cola 600. Now, that name alone is big, but the "how" is what people are still talking about at the local bars in Mooresville.
Chastain started 40th. Dead last.
He didn't just have a bad qualifying session; he actually trashed his primary car during Saturday's practice. His Trackhouse Racing crew had to work until 2:30 in the morning to get a backup car ready. They were back at the track by 5:30 AM. Imagine that—zero sleep, high pressure, and a driver starting with the entire field in front of him.
For most of the night, it looked like William Byron was going to run away with it. Byron was dominant. He swept the first three stages. He led a staggering 283 laps. But the Coca-Cola 600 is 400 laps long for a reason. It’s a war of attrition.
As the sun went down and the track temp dropped, Chastain’s backup car came alive. With just six laps to go, Chastain hunted down Byron, dove to the inside entering Turn 1, and cleared him off Turn 2. He won by a margin of 0.673 seconds.
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By winning from the 40th spot, Chastain broke a record that had stood since 1969. He became the first driver in the "modern era" (post-1972) to win a Cup race from the very last starting position. It was a "worst to first" story that felt like a movie script.
The Road Course Masterclass: Shane van Gisbergen at the Roval
Fast forward to October 2025. The series returned to Charlotte, but they weren't just turning left on the oval. They were running the "Roval"—a hybrid course that uses the infield and the high-banked turns.
Shane van Gisbergen (SVG) won the Bank of America Roval 400.
If you haven't been following SVG, the guy is a road-racing wizard from New Zealand. While the playoff drama was exploding behind him, he was busy putting on a clinic. He won by more than 15 seconds. In NASCAR terms, that’s an eternity. It’s like winning a marathon by a mile.
The real story that afternoon wasn't the winner, though—it was the points battle for the playoffs. Ross Chastain, the same guy who won in May, found himself in a desperate fight with Joey Logano to advance to the Round of 8.
Chastain made a "banzai" move on the very last lap in the frontstretch chicane. He actually wiped out Denny Hamlin trying to claw for a single point. It didn't work. He finished 21st, and Logano snuck into the next round of the playoffs by a tiny 4-point margin.
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Charlotte Race Results: The Concrete Numbers
When people ask who won the NASCAR Charlotte race, they usually want the full rundown of who actually showed up. Here is how the top of the field looked for the two major 2025 events.
2025 Coca-Cola 600 (The Oval)
- Winner: Ross Chastain (No. 1 Chevrolet)
- Runner-up: William Byron (+0.673s)
- 3rd Place: Chase Briscoe
- 4th Place: AJ Allmendinger
- 5th Place: Brad Keselowski
- Lead Changes: 34 among 11 different drivers.
- Race Time: 4 hours, 25 minutes, 8 seconds.
2025 Bank of America Roval 400 (The Road Course)
- Winner: Shane van Gisbergen (No. 88 Chevrolet)
- Runner-up: Kyle Larson (+15.160s)
- 3rd Place: Christopher Bell
- 4th Place: Chris Buescher
- 5th Place: Michael McDowell
Why These Wins Mattered for the 2025 Season
Ross Chastain's win in May was his first of the year. It locked him into the playoffs and ended an 18-race winless streak. For a guy who is known for being aggressive (the "Melon Man" usually smashes a watermelon on the finish line), this was a validation of his talent in a "crown jewel" race.
On the flip side, SVG’s win at the Roval was his fifth road course victory of the season. He’s basically become the final boss of road racing in NASCAR. If you want to win on a track with right turns, you have to go through him.
What Most People Get Wrong About Charlotte
People often think Charlotte is just another 1.5-mile "cookie-cutter" track. It’s not.
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The surface is incredibly sensitive to temperature. During the 600, the race starts in the afternoon heat and ends under the lights. The car that is fast at 6:00 PM is usually junk by 10:00 PM unless the crew chief makes the right adjustments.
Also, the "Roval" version of the track is notorious for destroying playoff hopes. Because the walls are so close and the braking zones are so heavy, one tiny mistake—like Chastain's speeding penalty on pit road during Lap 87—can ruin an entire season.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're looking to catch the next big event at Charlotte or just want to stay ahead of the curve, here is what you need to do:
- Watch the Track Temp: If you're betting or playing fantasy NASCAR for the 600, look for drivers who historically get better as the sun goes down. Veterans like Denny Hamlin or clinical drivers like William Byron usually excel here.
- Monitor the Backup Cars: Chastain proved that starting from the back in a backup car isn't a death sentence at Charlotte. The track is wide enough to allow for plenty of passing if the car is dialed in.
- SVG is the Road Course Standard: Until someone proves they can out-brake Shane van Gisbergen consistently, he is the default favorite for any Roval event.
- Check the Playoff Cutline: The fall Charlotte race is almost always an elimination race. Don't just watch the leader; watch the gap between 8th and 9th in the standings. That’s where the real "beating and banging" happens.
The 2025 season at Charlotte was defined by two things: a legendary comeback from the 40th spot and a dominant performance by a road-course specialist. Whether you're a die-hard Trackhouse fan or a Hendrick Motorsports loyalist, Charlotte delivered the drama that keeps NASCAR at the center of the sports world.
To stay updated on the current 2026 standings and see if Chastain can defend his crown, keep a close eye on the official NASCAR live leaderboard during race weekends. The next time someone asks you who won the NASCAR Charlotte race, you've got the full story.