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.

Johnson makes early exit

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.”

Halftime tribute

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.

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