KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Ross Chastain captured his first win of the season, albeit a month later than he wished, however a win nonetheless that performed spoiler within the opening race of the NASCAR quarterfinal playoff spherical.
Chastain didn’t make the playoffs as solely two winless drivers made NASCAR’s 16-driver championship-eligible discipline, however he created 2024 reminiscence by capturing the Cup race Sunday at Kansas Speedway.
Taking the lead on a restart with 21 laps to go, the Trackhouse Racing driver stored William Byron at bay for his fifth profession victory. Chastain and Kyle Busch had traded the lead over about 20 laps late within the race, however Busch spun and hit the wall with 32 laps remaining.
It was Chastain’s first victory for the reason that season finale at Phoenix final yr.
“We have not left,” Chastain mentioned. “We have not went away. No one has slowed us down aside from ourselves, and at the moment we had been the quickest automobile.”
Byron settled for second and leads the standings in NASCAR’s “Spherical of 12” with races at Talladega Superspeedway and the Charlotte highway course remaining. He was one of many few playoff drivers to not have hassle within the occasion.
Takeaways from Kansas the place two drivers eradicated the earlier week from championship competition completed third (Martin Truex Jr.) and fifth (Ty Gibbs) whereas playoff driver Ryan Blaney was fourth.
Kyle Busch Thwarted
Busch seemed to be on tempo to snap a 50-race winless streak as he was pulling away from Chastain however bought free when making an attempt to squeeze between Chase Briscoe and the wall when making an attempt to place Briscoe a lap down.
Some drivers might need given Busch just a little extra room — it appeared he had a really tight lane to make the move.
“I wasn’t going to simply pull over and provides it to him — we’re nonetheless racing for staying on the lead lap,” Briscoe mentioned. “I felt like we left him a automobile width and a few inches. These automobiles are so delicate.
“For those who’re off of someone’s proper rear, you get so free and it appeared like that’s what occurred. He throttled as much as pin me so the place I could not rise up [in front of him]. And as quickly as he bought there, … it sucked him round.”
Busch knew it was going to be robust to move Briscoe. He mentioned in previous years, drivers is likely to be just a little extra forgiving.
“I attempted to power my hand … to get to his outdoors, and after I did, for some cause no matter occurred, it simply gave all of the air in all of the improper place and I spun out,” Busch mentioned.
Briscoe remains to be within the playoffs, a spot he earned when he and Busch had a clear battle within the regular-season finale earlier this month at Darlington the place Briscoe gained an computerized playoff berth. Ought to which have resulted in Briscoe possibly giving Busch extra room?
“It does not matter what I anticipate,” Busch mentioned. “I do not suppose anyone offers anyone something anymore. It is simply take, take, take.”
Denny Hamlin Pit Woes
Hamlin had two sluggish pit stops — and as soon as needed to pit twice due to a free wheel — that he needed to rally from over the second half of the race.
So an eighth-place end was not outcome for Hamlin, who known as it a “horrible day.”Â
“We must always have gained the race,” Hamlin mentioned. “We had the quickest automobile however each time we get to the top-three, the warning comes out and we restart Fifteenth-Twentieth.
“You may’t present how briskly your automobile is once you’re at the back of the pack. … Ultimately you run out of laps and someone else wins.”
Hamlin remains to be 11 factors above the present playoff cutoff.
“I am not in it mentally, I can let you know that,” Hamlin mentioned. “There are many wires crossed and bolts free in the meanwhile. However what are you able to do? I am going to simply do one of the best I can to drive the automobile.”Â
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Playoff Driver Adversity
A number of playoff drivers battled adversity at Kansas.
Kyle Larson punctured a tire early and he drove his wounded automobile to a Twenty sixth-place end. Austin Cindric spun throughout the race and completed thirty fourth.Â
“I assumed we’d be OK [after the repairs], however I simply had no velocity,” Larson mentioned. “General, I am pleased with our effort. We bought every little thing considerably repaired. … I simply did not have any velocity, so restarts had been extremely robust for me.”
However there have been others who battled adversity and nonetheless had OK days. Chase Elliott blew an engine in apply, so he began on the rear and completed ninth. Christopher Bell scraped the wall twice and completed seventh. And Ryan Blaney needed to pit beneath inexperienced with a free wheel, however the Busch wreck introduced out a warning that allowed him to pit beneath warning as a substitute of inexperienced for his last gas cease, and he completed fourth.
Elliott mentioned having a pit stall the place he typically needed to drive round somebody to get in (and sometimes out) was robust — those that qualify properly get first alternative of pit stalls they usually typically have openings both on the best way in or out and/or are pitted by a driver who will likely be working worse in order that they have clear entry into their pit.
“Our automobile was a lot stable sufficient, however we had been simply preventing an uphill battle all day,” Elliott mentioned. “With the unhealthy pit choose, it simply kills you. … These are the little issues that simply destroy you when you have got a nasty Saturday.”
Bell had began on the pole for the third consecutive Kansas race however nonetheless seeks his first victory on the monitor.
“Simply clearly want I had a pair corners again as a result of there have been a few them the place I made errors and let lots of monitor place go,” Bell mentioned. “To return again and end seventh after getting mired again within the again is one thing that’s good however undoubtedly left what may’ve been.”
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent a long time overlaying motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seaside) Information-Journal. Comply with him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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