Ross Chastain’s playoff hopes came to a heartbreaking end on Sunday during the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, as a series of costly mistakes resulted in his elimination from the championship chase. The No. 1 Trackhouse Racing driver, who needed strong results to outpoint Joey Logano and clinch a spot in the Round of 8, suffered key setbacks at pivotal moments that ultimately determined his fate, putting the focus on Ross Chastain playoff elimination.
Coming into the closing laps, Chastain found himself just three points shy of overtaking Logano thanks to a ten-point gain in earlier stages. However, several errors—most notably a pit road penalty for speeding—proved insurmountable, making his battle to advance all the more difficult.
Pit Stop Problems and Race Dynamics Alter the Outcome
From the first stage, Chastain’s day took a sudden turn for the worse when he lost fifteen positions during a chaotic pit road exit after failing to navigate a sharp reentry turn back onto the track. Starting the next stage in thirtieth place, he mounted a rapid recovery, choosing not to flip track position during the second stage, and positioned himself back alongside Logano for the decisive moments ahead.
Chastain managed to pull ahead of Logano at the start of the final stage, setting himself up to gain the crucial points needed for advancement. But with just 23 laps left, another misstep occurred: Chastain was caught speeding on pit road during a routine stop. The penalty forced him into a drive-through, putting him behind Logano, who now had fresher tires and a clear advantage.
Reflecting on this critical mistake, Chastain told NBC Sports,
“Came out of the pit stall and double [shifted] into third (gear),”
— Ross Chastain, Driver. He further added, Unforced errors – just terrible.
Late Race Drama Shapes Final Standings
With time running out, Chastain launched a desperate comeback, overtaking Logano for the thirteenth position with eleven laps to go. Yet, as tire degradation took its toll, Logano’s crew chief Paul Wolfe made a strategy call, bringing their car to pit road for fresher rubber, which allowed Logano to rapidly narrow the points deficit. As the laps counted down, Chastain lost positions to Bubba Wallace, Josh Berry, and Todd Gilliland. The critical moment arrived when Chastain faced his longtime rival Denny Hamlin for the eighteenth spot on the final lap. Sliding his tires in Turn 7, Chastain slipped behind Hamlin and, in a last-ditch maneuver through Turn 16, attempted an aggressive move that spun out both cars—Chastain ultimately backed across the finish line in twenty-first place, just behind Logano, who moved forward to the next playoff round.
Chastain’s Emotional Reflections on the Aftermath
After the checkered flag, Chastain expressed deep regret over his costly errors and the ripple effect across Trackhouse Racing’s nearly two hundred employees.
“I would restart the whole day,”
— Ross Chastain, Driver. He continued, “Our Busch Light Chevy, Trackhouse Racing, they expect so much more out of me.”
He acknowledged the immense impact, saying,
“It’s heartbreaking for almost 200 employees at Trackhouse, all of our teammates, ECR Engines; everyone that makes this go around. Justin [Marks, team owner] hired me to carry this 1 car to drive it and be a leader, and I completely unraveled our day. Completely unacceptable.”
— Ross Chastain, Driver.
Missing out on the Round of 8 for the third straight season weighed heavily on Chastain. He detailed the emotional toll, stating,
“It’s terrible to get to this level and not perform,”
— Ross Chastain, Driver. He added,
“When you watch, learn and study for half your life to get here and to fail, it’s a terrible feeling right now. I will wake up tomorrow and go right back to work. It doesn’t make it any better for our partners or any of my teammates that are really upset with me.”
— Ross Chastain, Driver.
Joey Logano and Crew Stay Focused to Advance
Joey Logano, the driver Chastain needed to outpoint, managed to advance to his tenth Round of 8 appearance—matching Denny Hamlin for the most in NASCAR history. Logano’s advancement hinged on late-race strategic decisions and composure in high-pressure scenarios. He credited his crew and especially crew chief Paul Wolfe for bold choices.
“I knew we were within a point and it was going to be tight and Ross was going to do whatever he had to do to make it happen,”
— Joey Logano, Driver. He shared further appreciation,
“Proud of Paul Wolfe. He made some really hard calls today. Three-stopping the [final stage] with an audible at the end because our fall off was a little too much. Making that call at the end is ultimately what kept us in the game with just a few left. That’s a championship performance for the team.”
— Joey Logano, Driver.
Hamlin, who was also involved in the late-lap scramble, shared that he was primarily focused on his own race and didn’t commit to being a roadblock for Chastain in the final moments. When asked, Hamlin told reporters,
“I would have made the best decision for me.”
— Denny Hamlin, Driver.
Significance of Chastain’s Elimination and Implications for Trackhouse Racing
Chastain’s playoff elimination, after coming so close to advancing, signals the importance of both strategic precision and error-free execution in the highest levels of racing. The loss is felt deeply within Trackhouse Racing, as nearly two hundred team members and partners had their hopes dashed by a difficult day on pit road and the track. For Chastain, the outcome is a tough setback, particularly after seasons of ambition and work that fell just shy of the final playoff rounds once again.
For Joey Logano, a strong, coalesced team effort carried him into the next phase of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, where he aims to build on his historic record. As the series heads for the next challenge, eyes will remain on how Trackhouse Racing regroups and whether Chastain can bounce back from this emotional result and deliver for his team and fans in upcoming races.
CHASTAIN WITH THE REVERSE ENDING
📺: @USANetwork pic.twitter.com/SJfRrspOLY
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 5, 2025
