Chastain goes from worst to 1st in Coca-Cola 600

CONCORD, N.C. -- Ross Chastain stood connected apical of his No. 1 Chevrolet successful his achromatic occurrence suit and held a watermelon supra his caput arsenic the assemblage astatine the Charlotte Motor Speedway roared with delight successful anticipation.

Then, with consciousness of ferocity, Chastain slammed it to the track, smashing it to pieces.

Chastain began smashing watermelon arsenic a mode to grant his family's bequest arsenic eighth-generation watermelon farmers. The contented began aft his archetypal NASCAR Cup Series contention and has continued aft each win.

But this triumph was other special, his archetypal astatine a crown jewel event.

"This happening is caller from Florida," Chastain said with a laugh. "It conscionable came up from our household farm. Man, for the Florida watermelon industry, that's your watermelons you're getting close now, truthful y'all amended spell bargain a dang watermelon to celebrate. I privation to spot videos of smashed watermelons flood the socials. I privation to spot it. Florida watermelons are successful season."

Chastain passed two-time Daytona 500 victor William Byron with six laps near and won the Coca-Cola 600 connected Sunday night, capping a singular comeback and becoming the archetypal operator to triumph the lawsuit aft starting astatine the backmost of the field.

NASCAR said he's the archetypal operator to triumph from an authoritative starting presumption of past since Bobby Allison astatine the Richmond Fairgrounds successful 1969.

Byron won the archetypal 3 stages and led 283 laps but surrendered the pb to Chastain, who started successful 40th spot and led lone 8 laps successful his archetypal NASCAR Cup Series triumph of the year.

It was a immense boost to Trackhouse Racing, and a bitter disappointment for Byron, a Charlotte autochthonal who had signed a four-year declaration hold Friday with Hendrick Motorsports. Byron has finished successful the apical 3 successful the past 3 Coca-Cola 600s without winning.

Chastain said his unit stayed up each nighttime to physique him different car aft a clang successful signifier Saturday.

"To thrust connected that last tally successful the 600 and walk 2 cars that had been amended than maine each night, wow," Chastain said. "Holy cow! We conscionable won the 600."

Chastain said the program was to hole the archetypal car aft the wreck, but NASCAR intervened. It mightiness person been a bully happening it did.

"We thought we were going to person to hole the superior and NASCAR said, no, determination is thing bent [so] spell physique different one," Chastain said. "That's however we did that."

Chastain's unit chief, Phil Surgen, said it was "deflating" erstwhile a tyre went down and Chastain crashed during signifier due to the fact that their archetypal car had been moving truthful well, finishing fastest among the tract successful 10-, 15- and 20-lap averages.

But helium said much than 30 employees came into the adjacent contention store to enactment connected the car, with astir a twelve staying until 2:30 a.m. to get it acceptable to race. The car they utilized was slated to beryllium a backup car astatine the Nashville contention but didn't person an motor and needed respective different additions.

"This radical of guys I person got is relentless and nary uncertainty everybody was going to springiness it their best," Surgen said. "Guys were astatine concerts and ballgames and dropped what they were doing to travel successful and help."

Trackhouse Racing proprietor Justin Marks called it a "master class" effort by the team.

Byron near the way disappointed implicit his inability to support the lead.

"He was catching maine and I was trying to support and I was getting a small tight," Byron said. "He got a tally connected maine and was capable to get to the bottommost of the way disconnected of two. It's disappointing to pb that galore laps."

Byron became the archetypal operator to expanse the archetypal 3 stages astatine NASCAR's longest contention but recovered himself successful a conflict with Denny Hamlin the last 100 laps. They exchanged the pb a fewer times earlier some drivers pitted with 52 laps for 1 last substance stop.

But Hamlin didn't get capable successful his car and would person to pit again, falling retired of contention. He finished 16th.

Chastain, moving successful a backup car, ran down Byron for his sixth Cup Series triumph and archetypal crown jewel victory. Pole sitter Chase Briscoe finished third.

Kyle Larson's time ended the mode it started astatine the Indianapolis 500 -- with a wreck.

Larson arrived astatine Charlotte Motor Speedway via chopper much than an hr up of the commencement of the contention aft crashing retired astatine the Indianapolis 500 successful his 2nd failed effort to implicit "The Double."

In North Carolina, helium started connected the beforehand enactment and raced to an aboriginal pb earlier hitting the partition successful Turn 3 connected Lap 38.

A fewer laps later, his car got loose, sending him spinning crossed the beforehand straightaway and bringing retired the race's archetypal caution flag. But Larson was capable to regain power and forestall further harm to his No. 5 Chevrolet earlier heading to the pits for adjustments that forced him to the backmost of the field.

But Larson was caught up successful a wreck involving Ryan Blaney, Briscoe and Daniel Suarez, sending him down the wall. He finished 37th.

JOHNSON MAKES EARLY EXIT

Jimmie Johnson's bid for a record-tying 5th Coca-Cola 600 triumph ended aboriginal successful the 2nd signifier erstwhile helium deed the partition successful Turn 4, causing terrible harm to his No. 84 Toyota and knocking him retired of the race. The seven-time Cup Series champion finished last.

"I made a rookie mistake," Johnson said, who was making his 700th vocation Cup Series start. "The postulation situations are antithetic with this car and I reacted successful a mode I shouldn't have."

HALFTIME TRIBUTE

Keeping with tradition, drivers pulled their cars down pit roadworthy to a implicit halt for a infinitesimal of soundlessness arsenic portion of the Memorial Day play tribute to "honor and remember" those work members who've mislaid their lives.