Ross Chastain ROVAL playoff elimination became a reality on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ROVAL, as the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs moved on without him. Entering the race with a slim chance to advance, Chastain’s errors throughout the day at Concord, North Carolina left him and his Trackhouse Racing team on the outside looking in for the Round of 8.
The Charlotte ROVAL race saw the playoff field narrow from 12 to 8 drivers. Chastain started with hope, having qualified 10th thanks in part to teammate Shane van Gisbergen’s road course expertise. However, a sequence of mistakes and misfortunes unraveled his playoff bid.
A Strong Start Quickly Turns Challenging
Chastain chose to race for early stage points, securing a fifth-place finish in Stage 1. Pursuing stage points meant foregoing an early pit stop strategy, which necessitated a pit stop during the caution for fresh Goodyear tires.
The first setback came when Chastain missed the sharply angled pit road exit, a common pitfall at Charlotte’s road course layout. Coming in too fast, he was forced to suddenly brake to avoid a collision with the wall. This incident left him stuck, allowing competitors to pass and forcing him to restart deep in the field.
I tried to roll straight to the line because … you have to turn ahead of time if you wanna grab the bottom,
— Ross Chastain, Driver
Chastain reflected on his error, explaining he missed the right moment to turn, which cost him positions and momentum. Michael McDowell, who was racing near Chastain during the incident, described his confusion about the sudden disappearance of Chastain’s No. 1 car beside him.
The way that the line works, he just went straight. … We were just trying to jockey for that position at pit out.
— Michael McDowell, Driver
Unable to maintain required speed, Chastain fell to 30th position on the restart. He admitted later that surrendering one spot might have been a wiser decision to avoid the chain of problems that followed.
Second Mistake: Costly Speeding Penalty on Pit Road
Despite the setback, Chastain managed to claim more stage points with a fourth-place finish in Stage 2, keeping his playoff hopes barely alive. At the same time, Joey Logano, the driver just ahead of Chastain in points, had only earned three stage points, signaling a tense battle for the final playoff position.
The duel between Chastain and Logano intensified late in the race, with each mirroring the other’s pit strategies. But trouble returned when Chastain was penalized for speeding on pit road as he tried to stay on Logano’s strategic tail.
ROSS CHASTAIN GETS BUSTED FOR SPEEDING!!!@AlwaysRaceDay pic.twitter.com/ETVYd4MTpu
— Mr Matthew CFB
Chastain attributed the penalty to an accidental extra gear shift, explaining his surprise as he quickly closed on Todd Gilliland’s No. 34 ahead of him, only realizing the mistake after slamming on the brakes. Even before the penalty was announced, Chastain was visibly frustrated, pounding his steering wheel in regret.
After serving his pass-through penalty, the path forward was clear: Chastain needed to finish several spots ahead of Logano on track. With slightly newer tires, he pushed hard to regain ground and close the gap in the closing laps.
Final Lap Drama Ends in Bitter Disappointment
As the race entered its last dozen laps, Logano made a surprise call to pit, while Chastain elected to stay out, betting on track position over fresh tires. That gamble quickly backfired, as Chastain’s worn tires led to a loss of pace and positions. On the final lap, Chastain was overtaken by Denny Hamlin, which would have resulted in a points tie with Logano. Desperate, Chastain attempted an aggressive move on Hamlin—hoping to reclaim the critical spot—but only succeeded in spinning both himself and Hamlin, opening the door for Logano and others to pass and clinch the last Round of 8 seat.
Another look at the finish at the @CLTMotorSpdwy ROVAL. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/1unkICDFvk
— NASCAR
This last-ditch maneuver, drawing comparisons to Chastain’s improbable “Hail Melon” move in the past, became his undoing—aptly referred to by some as the “Fail Melon.” Chastain finished a disappointing 21st, dashing his playoff dreams for 2025. The race left Trackhouse Racing, Chevrolet, partners like Busch Beer and Goodyear, and Chastain himself visibly frustrated by the series of mistakes at such a critical juncture.
Reactions from the Drivers and Teams
Chastain openly acknowledged responsibility for his defeat, repeatedly blaming his mistakes as the sole reason for missing advancement.
The only reason we’re not in the Round of 8 is all on me.
— Ross Chastain, Driver
His remorse extended to fellow drivers caught up in his final-lap miscue, particularly Denny Hamlin and the Joe Gibbs Racing team.
I single-handedly took us out. … I want to put my head underneath the landfill out back.
— Ross Chastain, Driver
Despite a supportive gesture from Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks, who said thank you, Chastain felt undeserving of praise:
“They should be really mad at me, and the [No.] 11 should too. I see them looking at me, they should be [mad at me].”
Denny Hamlin, who dealt with the aftermath of being spun by Chastain on the last lap, expressed hurt and confusion in the post-race media scrum.
I didn’t know he was desperate. I wish I would have known.
— Denny Hamlin, Driver
I just got spun and didn’t know what the hell was going on.
— Denny Hamlin, Driver
Of the move, Chastain said,
“They were innocent bystanders, whether they knew or not. I am sorry to them. I’m sorry to Denny, I’m sorry to JGR and his whole team. They were definitely innocent bystanders. I knew that it would not affect the [No.] 11 moving on to the Round of 8, and I’m okay with that.”
Team communication between Hamlin and Chastain continued after the race, as Hamlin took a moment to speak with Chastain privately—a show of sportsmanship that illustrated the tense and emotional atmosphere on pit road by day’s end.
Meanwhile, Logano, who advanced by the slimmest of margins, acknowledged how important the smallest details were throughout the regular season, stage wins, and playoff points.
“If you’re one of those people that say playoff points don’t matter, stage wins don’t matter, regular season races don’t matter, go watch that,”
Logano said after the race.
Where Things Stand After the ROVAL
The events at Charlotte Motor Speedway highlighted the razor-thin margins separating advancement from elimination in NASCAR’s playoff system. For Chastain and Trackhouse, the outcome was especially bitter as each crucial error carried playoff implications. The playoff grid moved forward without Chastain and his No. 1 Chevrolet, with drivers like Logano and Hamlin continuing in pursuit of the Cup Series championship.
Chastain’s teammate Shane van Gisbergen, instrumental in Chastain’s qualifying effort, continued his road course streak, a reminder of how teamwork can play a pivotal role even in an individual pursuit. Michael McDowell, Todd Gilliland, and Paul Wolfe’s strategic calls each played a part in the late-race playoff drama.
Justin Marks and the rest of Trackhouse Racing are left to reflect on the lessons from a difficult elimination, and while the team’s spirits were tested, public support and team unity remained evident late into the evening.
Chastain Looks Ahead to the Rest of the Season
By night’s end, as the emotion and disappointment lingered, Chastain attempted to lift the mood on social media. In a message to fans, his team, and sponsors, he showed resolve to finish the season strong.
We’ll have a cold Busch beer and get after it the rest of the season.
— Ross Chastain, Driver
Chastain’s emotional response to his Ross Chastain ROVAL playoff elimination underscores just how much is at stake for drivers and teams during NASCAR’s playoff run. As the Round of 8 begins, attention now turns to those still chasing a championship, while Trackhouse refocuses on ending the year with pride and momentum.
Going to guess Ross Chastain wishes he turned there. pic.twitter.com/6gB3PDm13P
— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) October 5, 2025
ROSS CHASTAIN GETS BUSTED FOR SPEEDING!!!@AlwaysRaceDay pic.twitter.com/ETVYd4MTpu
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) October 5, 2025
Another look at the finish at the @CLTMotorSpdwy ROVAL. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/1unkICDFvk
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 5, 2025
Can’t say enough about everyone on this 1 team and at @TeamTrackhouse. We’ll have a cold @BuschBeer and get after it the rest of the season. 👊 pic.twitter.com/FMoQ9cXxHA
— Ross Chastain (@RossChastain) October 5, 2025
