NASCAR

NASCAR Cup Series Fans React To Ross Chastain Playing Spoiler During Hollywood Casino 400 At Kansas Speedway

By
Jeff Hawkins
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Jeff Hawkins Sports Editor

Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry, in both print and digital media. He joined the Sportscasting team in 2021 following a decade of freelancing. He spent his early career as a reporter for various newspapers in Illinois, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan, with a particular emphasis as a beat reporter for the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Oakland University. Over the course of his career he earned several sports writing awards, including two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing and news reporting. One of the five prized columns included a commentary on NASCAR's increasing corporate influences, particularly in northern racetracks — commentary which you might find Jeff building on as part of the Motorsports writing team at Sportscasting now.  

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Published30 Sep 2024

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NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain put an early twist on the Round of 12. 

Outdueling playoff competitor William Byron, Chastain rallied to capture Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by ESPN BET by 0.388 seconds. 

“Look, there’s been times this year where we couldn’t have disrupted the minnow pond outside of Darlington, let alone a Cup race,” Chastain joked, as reported by The Associated Press. “It’s hard. It’s really tough. 

“For us on this 1 team, it’s what Cup racing is all about.” 

In an event that featured 30 lead changes among a Kansas Speedway record 15 drivers, Byron’s Victory Lane bid came up short, but the Stage 1 winner moved in the drivers’ standings lead, six points over Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney, the defending Cup titleholder.  

X (Twitter) users responded to the “Melon Man,” who earned his fifth career victory after leading for 52 laps … 

Now here’s a Golden order … 

Pre-race news item: With Kaulig Racing releasing the rights to the No. 31 machine after this season, the organization signed Ty Dillon to pilot the No. 10 team full-time in 2025 … 

Twenty laps into the race at the 1.5-mile track, Kyle Larson’s machine blew a tire and connected with the outside wall. The 2021 series champ went down a rotation on Lap 56 … 

Bell, the pole-sitter, claimed the lead off the Lap 25 restart. Bell struck the outside wall on Lap 72 and Byron took advantage … 

Justin Haley, in his second outing with his new ride, and John Hunter Nemechek spun out on Lap 149 …  

Blaney worked his way back through the field after being forced to pit with a loose wheel on Lap 192. He ended up P4 … 

Winless this season, Kyle Busch took the lead on Lap 206 after running down Chastain. Twenty rotations later, Busch pressured the No. 1 Chevrolet and ended up striking the wall off Turn 2, causing the ninth caution … 

Busch remains in contention to claim at least one win in 20 consecutive Cup seasons. Will Sunday prove to be his best opportunity? “I’m numb. I don’t know what to do,” Busch told NBC Sports. “I hate it for my guys” … 

Martin Truex Jr., who is retiring at the end of this season, earned a P3 and selected the top lane on the final restart, but ended up losing spots to Chastain and Byron on Lap 248 … 

Tyler Reddick, the defending event champion, sputtered in for a P4 and departed Kansas four points below the Round of 8 cutoff line. Reddick’s 23XI Racing teammate struggled, too … 

For the “Melon Man,” Kansas was a smashing success …