On a day when Trackhouse Racing teammate Shane van Gisbergen celebrated a victory, Ross Chastain sulked after just missing out on a berth in the NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8. But he didn’t blame anyone but himself.
Chastain, who, unlike van Gisbergen arrived at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL Sunday still in contention for the NASCAR Cup Series title, fell behind due to two major issues on pit road.
However, he managed to fight back and was on the cusp of pointing his way into the next round when a last-lap collision with Denny Hamlin resulted in him falling painfully short.
What Happened To Put Ross Chastain Behind The 8 Ball At The ROVAL?
Facing potential elimination from the NASCAR Cup Series championship battle, Ross Chastain needed at worst a solid all-around day in the Round of 12 finale.
But the afternoon turned out to be anything but solid for Chastain. Instead, the eighth-generation watermelon farmer made a couple of errors on pit road that proved costly.
Chastain lost numerous positions by missing the turn coming off pit road. And the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet owned by Justin Marks gave up even more track position with a penalty from NASCAR for speeding on pit road.
“Just unforced errors,” Chastain said. “Just terrible. So, it’s heartbreaking for almost 200 employees at Trackhouse, all of our teammates, our ECR Engines, everybody that makes this go around.
“Justin hired me to carry this 1 car and to drive it and to be a leader. I just completely unraveled our day. … Just completely unacceptable.”
But Chastain rallied back into the top 20 and found himself needing to gain one spot on the track on the final lap to punch a ticket to the next playoff round. However, his last-ditch effort to make that happen went awry when he ran into Denny Hamlin in the final corner. Both drivers spun, with Chastain ultimately throwing his car in reverse and backing across the finish line.
He finished four points behind Joey Logano, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion. Logano was in position to beat Chastain in a tiebreaker when Chastain entered the final corner running just behind Hamlin, who had just passed him in Turn 7. So, Chastain needed to regain that position to advance.
Instead, he and Hamlin made contact and lost control of their respective race cars.
“He got by me clean, and I wiped him out,” Chastain said.
Shane van Gisbergen wins on the Charlotte Roval!
Also … DENNY HAMLIN AND ROSS CHASTAIN GET TOGETHER ON THE LAST LAP. Chastain backs across the finish line. But it wasn't enough. pic.twitter.com/Vo89xzNC5d
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) October 5, 2025
Here’s what Ross Chastain had to say about his final corner move on Denny Hamlin: pic.twitter.com/xHTudZHJH4
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) October 5, 2025
Denny Hamlin, Justin Marks React To Last-Lap Accident
Surprisingly, Denny Hamlin was unaware of the playoff implications associated with potentially being passed by Ross Chastain in the last corner of the ROVAL.
“I’ll be honest with you: I didn’t know if I was racing for 10th or 30th,” Hamlin said.
It was only after the race that Hamlin learned that Chastain needed to pass him to advance in the playoffs. Chastain advancing might have ultimately played to Hamlin’s advantage since it would have been at Joey Logano’s expense.
Logano and Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney are historically strong at Phoenix Raceway, site of the championship race. Hamlin and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates have recently struggled there, by comparison. But Logano advancing means the three-time Cup Series champ could be one of three drivers Hamlin has to beat at Phoenix, if both drivers make it that far.
“I didn’t know anything about anything going on (concerning the points situation), but obviously the 1 was in a position there,” Hamlin said. “And obviously we got caught in it. I wish I would have known.”
Denny Hamlin on not knowing that passing Ross Chastain was putting Joey Logano in and what he would have done if he had known: @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/A6yiajaYpL
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) October 5, 2025
Although Hamlin and Chastain have a checkered past when racing each other, Hamlin wasn’t upset by Chastain’s ill-fated move.
“I don’t fault Ross at all,” Hamlin said. “I just wish I knew (about the playoff implications) so I could have been either prepared or made a different decision.”
Chastain’s team owner, Justin Marks, was less forgiving.
“It was a bit self-inflicted on the 1 team,” Marks said. “We shouldn’t have been in the position that we were in. Having to fight for one point on the last lap. And having to throw Hail Marys and all that kind of stuff.
“We need to be better on pit road and eliminate the mistakes that were made today so we weren’t in that position.”
