Ross Chastain performed spoiler Sunday at Kansas Speedway with a victory within the opening race within the Spherical of 12 of the NASCAR Cup Collection playoffs.
Chastain took the lead off a restart with 20 laps to go within the Hollywood On line casino 400. The Trackhouse Racing driver selected the within lane beneath Martin Truex Jr. He charged by on the underside and was away from the sector off Flip 2.
The victory was Chastain’s first of the yr after failing to earn a playoff berth. He led playoff driver William Byron throughout the end line with Truex ending third.
“It’s an enormous deal,” Chastain mentioned. “For us on this [No. 1] workforce, it’s [why] Justin Marks purchased into NASCAR with Trackhouse to do stuff like this — to disrupt. There have been occasions this yr the place we couldn’t have disrupted the minnow pond outdoors of Darlington, not to mention a Cup race. It’s exhausting. It’s actually powerful.
“To come back and do that right now, there have been occasions after follow and qualifying I didn’t suppose we had what it took. I assumed we’ve been method stronger right here previously and it didn’t really feel nice all day, however our Kubota Chevy, gosh, it was higher because the rubber went down, and the changes had been nice.”
Ryan Blaney completed fourth adopted by Ty Gibbs, Alex Bowman and Christopher Bell in seventh after ranging from the pole. Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott and Zane Smith accomplished the highest 10. Elliott’s ninth-place end got here after beginning final due to an engine subject throughout follow that required the workforce to vary the ability plant for the race.
Bell led a race-high 122 laps. Byron gained the primary stage, and Bowman gained the second.
The race’s remaining warning was for Carson Hocevar’s spin on the backstretch after contact from Todd Gilliland. Truex was the lead on the time of warning, with Chastain second, Bowman third and Byron fourth.
Chastain led 52 laps en path to his fifth profession victory.
Daniel Suarez was the primary of the playoff drivers to complete outdoors the highest 10. He completed thirteenth and Joey Logano completed fifteenth. Chase Briscoe completed twenty fourth, Tyler Reddick completed twenty fifth, Kyle Larson completed twenty sixth and Austin Cindric, thirty fourth.
It was an extended day for Larson, who hit the wall in Flip 2 on lap 19 due to a minimize proper rear tire. He fell off the lead lap on lap 56 and spent a lot of the afternoon having his automobile, which lacked grip and velocity, repaired. Larson acquired the free go underneath a lap 144 warning when Daniel Hemric spun.
Cindric spun on the backstretch on lap 157 after bouncing off Kyle Busch. It left Cindric with a flat left entrance tire.
KYLE BUSCH SPINS FROM THE LEAD!
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The penultimate warning of the afternoon concerned Busch. The Richard Childress Racing driver spun from the race lead whereas being chased by Chastain. He obtained unfastened off Flip 2 arising on Briscoe, who was preventing to remain on the lead lap. Busch wiggled, hit the skin wall, and misplaced management of his Chevrolet.
Busch led 26 laps. He has six races left to go to victory lane and push his streak of profitable not less than one race a yr to twenty straight.
Sunday’s race featured 30 lead modifications amongst 15 drivers and 10 cautions.
