Chastain spoils playoff party with Kansas win

After a dramatic close to the Round of 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway, the first race in the Round of 12 was a wild affair from start to finish.

It was a bittersweet triumph for Chastain who missed out on this year’s playoffs after failing to win during the NASCAR Cup Series regular season.

“It’s a huge deal,” said Chastain.

“For us on this No. 1 team, this is what Cup racing is all about. It’s what Justin Marks bought into Trackhouse with Pitbull… to do stuff like this. To disrupt.

“There’s been times this year when we couldn’t have disrupted [a] minnow pond outside of Darlington, let alone a Cup race. It’s hard. It’s really tough.”

The race featured a total of 15 different leaders and 30 lead changes. In total, there were 10 cautions.

It was a topsy-turvy day for the remaining 12 playoff contenders. Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson came from a lap down to finish 26th after he suffered a puncture and hit the outside wall at Turn 1 during Stage 1.

KYLE LARSON HITS THE WALL!

He continues on but brings out the yellow. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/i3yP2apfZp

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 29, 2024

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell dominated Stage 1 and led the most laps of any driver with 123 to his credit. He wound up seventh having led the race on six different occasions. Bell nearly threw his race away when he hit the wall with seven laps to go in Stage 1 and forfeited the lead to Byron.

Team Penske’s Austin Cindric was the lowest placed playoff driver in 34th after he spun out of Turn 2 and nudged the inside wall.

Stage 3 boiled down to a battle between Chastain, Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex Jr. for Joe Gibbs Racing until the final few cautions.

Chastain got the best of Busch initially, who found himself in trouble with 32 laps to go when he tried to go around the outside of Stewart-Haas Racing’s Chase Briscoe and got into the wall.

KYLE BUSCH SPINS FROM THE LEAD!

📺 : #NASCARPlayoffs | USA Network pic.twitter.com/1FcHvLej3b

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 29, 2024

Busch, who led 26 laps, tried to save a tank slapper before spinning on the back straight. He finished 19th.

“Just running ten tenths all the time trying to make up [time] and make up speed and cover teh #1 car and make sure I could stay ahead of him,” said Busch post-race.

“The #14 turned down the hill in order to get clean air from the guy in front of him so I went to his outside and plugged the hole.

“For some reason, I felt nothing off the corner and hadn’t really had that like that the whole time. Busted my butt. Hate it for my guys and my buddy at RCR and ECR, they deserved to get the win today. I guess I just got in too big a hurry. I’m numb, I don’t know what to do.”

Spire Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar brought out the final caution, setting up a shootout to the chequered flag.

Chastain led from the front before Byron made headway late. The #24 threatened to pip the #1 but ran out of laps to put a pass on the race leader.

The Melon Man celebrated in his trademark style, smashing a watermelon on the front straight from the top of his Chevrolet Camaro.

Truex Jr. wound up third ahead of Ryan Blaney (Team Penske) and former playoff contender Ty Gibbs (Joe Gibbs Racing).

The Round of 12 continues at Talladega Speedway on October 7.

Results: NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400, Kansas Speedway