Latest news with #CharlotteMotorSpeedway
Forbes
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Kyle Larson's Long Day Ends Short At Charlotte
CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 25: Daniel Suarez, driver of the #99 Freeway Insurance Chevrolet, and ... More Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 Hendrick 1100 Chevrolet, spin after an on-track incident during the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 25, 2025 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by) Kyle Larson had to keep looking forward. Indiana was behind him—along with the heartbreak of missing the end of the Indianapolis 500. The much-hyped 'double' was no longer in play, but there were still 600 miles to run in Charlotte. A full workday behind the wheel. Focus forward. Try to salvage something. But the night didn't get much better. Larson rolled off second for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and quickly jumped to the lead by lap 9, as if the racing gods were offering him a shot at redemption. For a moment, it looked like a story straight out of Hollywood: heartbreak in Indy, triumph in Charlotte. The kind of thing that ends with slow-motion confetti and dramatic orchestral music. What happened instead was more like a country song with a wrecked Chevy in the chorus. On lap 36, Larson scraped the wall coming into Turn 3—nothing dramatic, just enough to rattle the sheet metal and let everyone know he was pushing. No lift, no hesitation. Because he's Kyle Larson, and that's what he does. CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 25: Crew members work to repair the #5 Hendrick 1100 ... More Chevrolet, driven by Kyle Larson after an on-track incident during the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 25, 2025 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by) But Turn 4 had other ideas. On lap 43, with Larson leading and seemingly in control, the rear end stepped out and the No. 5 car skated sideways across the frontstretch grass like a hockey puck on a bad breakaway. To the naked eye, it looked cosmetic. But underneath, a broken toe link had turned a top-tier race car into a wounded animal. The Hendrick Motorsports crew went into triage mode. Wrenches flew. Metal bent back into shape. Larson eventually rejoined the field, down but not out. He made up the lost laps and continued on, no longer a contender, but at least still in the race. If the win wasn't possible, maybe a finish was. Then came lap 247. Daniel Suárez, running three-wide on the bottom out of Turn 4, drifted up into Chase Briscoe, who then bumped into Ryan Blaney, who promptly bounced off the wall like a pinball. Suárez spun down across the frontstretch and into Justin Haley. Then into Larson. Again. This time, there was no recovery. INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 25: Kyle Larson #17 of Arrow McLaren Chevrolet crashes along with Sting ... More Ray Robb #77 of Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet during the NTT IndyCar Series 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 25, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Brandon Badraoui/Lumen via Getty Images) 'I don't know... I saw smoke and I tried to get left through the infield and I just didn't get far enough left,' Larson said after being released from the infield care center. 'I got tagged and it ended our night. Just a bummer of a day all around.' It wasn't just the final crash—Larson had been fighting an uphill battle from early on. 'I just got super loose into Turn Three out of nowhere early in the race. I caught the wall and got some toe damage,' he explained. 'I thought the No. 5 Chevrolet team did a great job in getting us back to where we were somewhat comfortable there the last 200 laps. We just needed to kind of chip away at it and I thought we could still end up OK.' Ultimately, his effort to complete 1,100 miles of racing across two iconic tracks came to a premature end after 336 total laps—91 at Indianapolis, 245 at Charlotte. 'Just not the day that I wanted,' Larson said, 'but huge thanks to Rick and Linda Hendrick, all of Hendrick Motorsports, Arrow McLaren, Chevrolet, everybody involved in making the day memorable. It's just unfortunate, but hopefully we can run it back someday.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
How William Byron lost the Coke 600 after dominant performance
William Byron led 283 of 400 laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday. He started from third position, winning Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3. But on the final run of the race, Ross Chastain completed his last-to-first charge, coming from the very back of the field in a backup car to snatch the win away from Byron. The final pass for the lead came after 591 of the 600-mile event was complete. But what led up to that pivotal moment? Let's take a look... The final round of green-flag stops William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet; Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet; Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Logan Riely / Getty Images Logan Riely / Getty Images Advertisement On Lap 349, Byron pitted from the race lead. Denny Hamlin followed him down pit road, but Chastain did not. He stayed out, leading his first laps of the night as he pushed the run further by two crucial laps. When Byron cycled back to the front, Chastain was almost three seconds behind, but he quietly made his march forward as the focus turned to Hamlin, who had been the only driver to challenge Byron consistently throughout the race. However, the No. 11 team failed to get Hamlin's car full of fuel during the final stop, taking him out of contention for the race win as he was forced to make an extra pit stop. Chastain made a critical pass on Hamlin with 27 laps remaining, and at the same time, Byron had to take evasive maneuvers up the road, giving up a lot of time. Reddick's mistake Tyler Reddick, who was at the tail-end of the lead lap after a speeding penalty, lost control and nearly crashed directly in front of Byron. The Hendrick Motorsports turned hard to the left as Reddick slapped the wall, going all the way to the apron and giving up almost a second of his advantage. Advertisement Chastain was now in the runner-up position with just one second between himself and Byron -- and 25 laps still to go. He quickly caught Byron, but struggled to fight through the dirty air as Byron aggressively defended the top spot. Falling back to cool down the tires, Chastain made another charge as the lapped car of Joey Logano started taking clean air away from Byron as well. The car wasn't running terribly slow either with Logano able to maintain his position ahead of the leaders. Struggling with traffic William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet; Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet; Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images Advertisement As they raced through Turns 3 and 4, Byron got loose in the wake of Logano's car, allowing Chastain to rapidly close. However, he had Hamlin, who had just pitted again (now a lap down), to his inside. Byron crossed the line with six laps to go and Chastain was glued to his rear bumper, but with Hamlin to his inside, Chastain appeared to be trapped. Despite that, he still made a bold move to the inside of Byron at the entry of Turn 1, helped by the fact that Hamlin gave him plenty of room. Chastain performed a slide job, throwing his No. 1 Chevrolet deep into the corner before sliding up directly in front of the No. 24 Chevrolet. Byron lifted, hitting the wall at the exit of Turn 2 as Hamlin overtook both cars and disappeared into the distance. Byron had five laps to respond and while he got close, he was never able to get fully back alongside, even hitting the wall a second time on the final lap. That was the end of it, allowing Chastain to claim an impressive victory, utilizing those two-lap fresher tires to hold back the dominant driver of the night. Byron explains Coke 600 loss William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet David Jensen / Getty Images David Jensen / Getty Images Advertisement "It's just frustrating," said Byron after the race. "I don't really have many words for it. I wish I won. [Chastain] was catching me, I was trying to defend, I put a couple good defensive moves on but I got loose in (Turns) 3 and 4, and that was really it. He got that run down the frontstretch and I tried to protect the inside, but it wasn't enough." Revealing more about what he was battling inside the car, Byron said he was "getting a little bit tight," partly due to the awkward aero spot he was in with the traffic ahead of him as he tried to fend off Chastain. "Then the scenario there with the cars we were around, it was tough. So, yeah, he got a run on me and was able to get to the bottom and clear me off of (Turn) 2. Disappointing just to lead that many laps and such a great effort by our whole team. Yeah, I guess just could have anticipated that last run a little better. I ran in dirty air for a long time and heated my tires up. "Then we lost a chunk of time, and the 45 [Reddick] about crashed in front of us. Yeah, sucks." Advertisement Byron won the first crown jewel of the year, claiming victory in the season-opening Daytona 500. While he was hoping to add another major win to resume this weekend, he did manage to secure a four-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports. Read Also: The Double DNF: Kyle Larson's day ends in a Coke 600 pile-up Ross Chastain stops fan who reached into his car and stole his hat after Coke 600 win Ross Chastain makes history, fighting from last to first to win the Coca-Cola 600 To read more articles visit our website.
Fox News
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
Ross Chastain makes history, goes from worst to 1st to win NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600
Ross Chastain passed William Byron with five laps left and won the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, becoming the first driver to win the event after starting at the back of the field. Byron won the first three stages and led 283 laps, but surrendered the lead to Chastain, who started in 40th place and led just eight laps in his first NASCAR Cup Series victory of the year. It was a huge boost to Trackhouse Racing, and a bitter disappointment for Byron, the Charlotte native who had signed a four-year contract extension Friday with Hendrick Motorsports. Byron became the first driver to sweep the first three stages at NASCAR's longest race, but found himself in a battle with Denny Hamlin in the final 100 laps. They exchanged the lead a few times before both drivers pitted with 52 laps for one final fill up on gas. But Hamlin didn't get enough fuel in his car and would have to pit again, falling out of contention. He would finish 16th. Chastain, running in a backup car, ran down Byron for his sixth Cup Series win and first crown jewel victory. Pole-sitter Chase Briscoe finished third. Kyle Larson's day ended the way it started at the Indianapolis 500 — with a wreck. Larson arrived at Charlotte Motor Speedway via helicopter more than an hour ahead of the start of the race after crashing out at the Indianapolis 500 in his failed second attempt to complete "The Double." In North Carolina, he started on the front row and ran out to the early lead before hitting the wall in Turn 3 on lap 38. A few laps later his car got loose, sending him spinning across the front straightaway and bringing out the race's first caution flag. But Larson was able to regain control of his car and prevent any further damage to his No. 5 Chevrolet before heading to the pits for adjustments that forced him to the back of the field. But Larson got caught up in a wreck involving Briscoe, Ryan Blaney and Daniel Suarez, sending him behind the wall. He finished 37th. Jimmie Johnson's bid for a record-tying fifth Coca-Cola 600 victory ended early in the second stage when he hit the wall in Turn 4, causing severe damage to his No. 84 Toyota and knocking him out of the race. The seven-time Cup Series champion finished last in 40th place. "I make a rookie mistake," Johnson said, who was making his 700th career Cup Series start. "The traffic situations are different with this car and I reacted in a way I shouldn't have." Keeping with tradition, drivers pulled their cars down pit road to a complete stop for a moment of silence as part of the Memorial Day weekend tribute to "honor and remember" those service members who've lost their lives. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Winners, losers from Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup race won by Ross Chastain
CONCORD, N.C. — A look at the winners and losers from Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. WINNERS Ross Chastain — He tracked William Byron in the final laps before passing him for the win with six laps to go to score his first Cup crown jewel victory. The victory came after he wrecked in practice the day before and went to a backup car, forcing him to start at the rear of the field. NASCAR: Coca-Cola 600 Ross Chastain stuns William Byron to win Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Advertisement Winning pass comes with five laps remaing in NASCAR's longest race. Trackhouse Racing — The team scores its first victory of the year amid challenging circumstances. Ross Chastain's wreck in practice Saturday forced the team to go to a backup car. With the shop near the track, the team went back there and converted what was to be the backup car for this weekend's race at Nashville into the Coca-Cola 600 car. Crew members worked until 2:30 a.m. and returned at 5:30 a.m. They didn't finish until 12:30 p.m. when the car was put in the hauler and sent to Charlotte Motor Speedway. Chase Briscoe — His third-place finish is his best of the season. Brad Keselowski — His fifth-place finish was his first top 10 of the season. While that is an accomplishment for the team, Keselowski is focused on more, saying after the race: 'I want to win.' Advertisement Michael McDowell — His seventh-place finish was his first top 10 of the year and his best career result at Charlotte. LOSERS Denny Hamlin — His chances of winning ended when he had to pit with 12 laps to go because he was short of fuel. He finished 16th. Kyle Larson — He competed in both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600, but he did not finish either because of crashes. Larson Kyle Larson's day ends with a thud and maybe marks the end of the Indy 500/Coke 600 Double Crashes ended Kyle Larson's races at Indianapolis and Charlotte. Bubba Wallace — He finished 35th, marking the third consecutive points race he's placed 33rd or worse. Wallace has fallen from seventh in the points to 12th in the season standings during that stretch.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Winners, losers from Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup race won by Ross Chastain
CONCORD, N.C. — A look at the winners and losers from Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. WINNERS Ross Chastain — He tracked William Byron in the final laps before passing him for the win with six laps to go to score his first Cup crown jewel victory. The victory came after he wrecked in practice the day before and went to a backup car, forcing him to start at the rear of the field. NASCAR: Coca-Cola 600 Ross Chastain stuns William Byron to win Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Advertisement Winning pass comes with five laps remaing in NASCAR's longest race. Trackhouse Racing — The team scores its first victory of the year amid challenging circumstances. Ross Chastain's wreck in practice Saturday forced the team to go to a backup car. With the shop near the track, the team went back there and converted what was to be the backup car for this weekend's race at Nashville into the Coca-Cola 600 car. Crew members worked until 2:30 a.m. and returned at 5:30 a.m. They didn't finish until 12:30 p.m. when the car was put in the hauler and sent to Charlotte Motor Speedway. Chase Briscoe — His third-place finish is his best of the season. Brad Keselowski — His fifth-place finish was his first top 10 of the season. While that is an accomplishment for the team, Keselowski is focused on more, saying after the race: 'I want to win.' Advertisement Michael McDowell — His seventh-place finish was his first top 10 of the year and his best career result at Charlotte. LOSERS Denny Hamlin — His chances of winning ended when he had to pit with 12 laps to go because he was short of fuel. He finished 16th. Kyle Larson — He competed in both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600, but he did not finish either because of crashes. Larson Kyle Larson's day ends with a thud and maybe marks the end of the Indy 500/Coke 600 Double Crashes ended Kyle Larson's races at Indianapolis and Charlotte. Bubba Wallace — He finished 35th, marking the third consecutive points race he's placed 33rd or worse. Wallace has fallen from seventh in the points to 12th in the season standings during that stretch.
