Ross Chastain’s Last-Lap Stunner Rocks NASCAR—Watch the Wild Finish and Fan Reactions

Ross Chastain stormed from the back of the grid to capture Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, snatching the lead from William Byron with six laps remaining and delivering Trackhouse Racing its first NASCAR Cup Series crown-jewel victory of 2025. Starting 40th in a backup Chevrolet Camaro after a blown tire destroyed his primary car in Saturday practice, Chastain executed a patient, fuel-saving strategy through the opening three stages of NASCAR’s longest race. The 32-year-old Floridian methodically climbed the order, using fresh tires and clean air during the final green-flag run to erase a three-second deficit to Byron, who had led a race-high 280 laps in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy. Chastain’s decisive move came in Turn 1 on Lap 394, when he arced high, pinned Byron behind lapped traffic, and powered ahead down the backstretch. From there, the “Melon Man” — famous for celebrating wins by smashing a watermelon — held a steady wheel for his sixth career Cup Series victory and first of the season, locking himself into the 2025 playoffs. Byron settled for second, followed by Chase Briscoe, AJ Allmendinger and Brad Keselowski. Fan favorite Kyle Larson’s ambitious Indy 500/Coke 600 “double” ended in heartbreak; after crashing out of Indianapolis, Larson spun from the lead at Charlotte and was later collected in a multi-car accident, finishing outside the top 30. Key takeaways • First win of 2025 thrusts Chastain from 15th to eighth in driver standings. • Victory comes exactly one year after Trackhouse’s last points triumph, ending a 39-race drought. • Chastain led only 18 laps, underscoring the importance of late-race tire management on Charlotte’s slick, night-time surface. • The result marks the second time in three seasons that a driver starting 30th or worse has won the Coca-Cola 600, highlighting the event’s strategic unpredictability. What’s next The Cup Series shifts to Nashville Superspeedway for the Cracker Barrel 400 on June 1, where Chastain — who finished runner-up there in 2024 — looks to extend momentum on another concrete oval. Practice and qualifying air Friday on FS1, with the 400-mile race streaming live Sunday evening on Prime Video. SEO spotlight Fans searching for “Ross Chastain Coca-Cola 600 win,” “Trackhouse Racing backup car,” and “William Byron dominant but loses Charlotte” will find all the pivotal details here: starting position, pit strategy, pass for the lead, playoff implications, and upcoming schedule. Expect heightened interest throughout Memorial Day week as highlight clips trend across NASCAR’s social channels and Chastain’s watermelon-smash celebration goes viral.