After crashing his main automotive in observe Saturday, Ross Chastain drove from lifeless final and handed William Byron with six laps remaining to win Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The watermelon farmer from Alva, Florida earned his sixth profession NASCAR Cup Collection victory — making it 4 consecutive profitable seasons — as he earned his first profession crown jewel win.
RELATED: Race outcomes | At-track images: Charlotte
However for the opposite 39 drivers, some will go away Charlotte with momentum, whereas others head to Nashville Superspeedway (Solar. 7 p.m. ET, Prime Video, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) scratching their heads. Each race issues as Nashville marks the begin to the second half of the common season.
THREE UP ⬆️
1.AJ Allmendinger
Began: fifth
Completed: 4th
What occurred: Allmendinger had arguably among the finest non-road course races of his Cup Collection profession, incomes factors in every stage and coming residence together with his first top-five end of the 2025 marketing campaign. He recorded his finest outcome since ending fifth at Homestead-Miami Speedway in October 2023, and whereas he didn’t run full time final yr, the end is an enormous step in the precise course for the No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet.
What’s subsequent: Allmendinger has a finest end of tenth (2023) in three profession begins at Nashville and in addition owns an Xfinity Collection victory on the 1.33-mile concrete oval. Sitting seventeenth within the Cup Collection stands (after an eight-spot soar at Charlotte), one other robust race could possibly be the momentum the Los Gatos, California native wants because the playoff push ramps up.
2.Brad Keselowski
Began: thirty fifth
Completed: fifth
What occurred: Keselowski can lastly start to exhale. He earned his first top-five (and top-10) end of the season Sunday at Charlotte, placing an finish to a protracted stretch of poor races and miscues to open 2025. Keselowski earned the pole and confirmed contending velocity final week within the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, so perhaps the 41-year-old has actually began to hit on one thing together with his No. 6 RFK Racing group.
What’s subsequent: Nashville hasn’t handled Keselowski kindly previously as he’s completed twenty third or worse in three of his 4 begins there. He’s nonetheless buried in factors, sitting thirty second, however perhaps this newfound velocity and execution may result in a stable outing in Music Metropolis.
3.Michael McDowell
Began: fifteenth
Completed: seventh
What occurred: Intermediate-track racing had by no means been a energy for McDowell previously, but it surely looks like he’s hit on one thing in his first yr with Spire Motorsports. After a near-win at Texas Motor Speedway three weeks in the past, the 40-year-old fired again with a quiet high 10 Sunday at Charlotte. It’s his finest end of the season and the very best of his profession in Queen Metropolis.
What’s subsequent: McDowell hasn’t completed higher than thirteenth in 4 begins at Nashville, however all of these races got here whereas he was nonetheless at Entrance Row Motorsports. Whereas Nashville is a bit shorter, it races like an intermediate monitor, which means one other robust efficiency could possibly be within the playing cards subsequent weekend as McDowell appears to be like to proceed chipping into his factors deficit. He’s nineteenth within the standings, 21 factors behind Ryan Preece for the ultimate provisional playoff spot.
THREE DOWN ⬇️
1.Denny Hamlin
Began: twentieth
Completed: sixteenth
What occurred: Hamlin spent a lot of Sunday’s race contending for the victory till a mishap throughout his remaining pit cease. Coming for service at Lap 348, his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing group didn’t absolutely gasoline the automotive because the second fuel can was by no means absolutely engaged. Hamlin and crew chief Chris Gayle needed to financial institution on a late warning which by no means got here, which means the Toyota needed to give up third place for a splash of gasoline with 11 laps to go.
What’s subsequent: Hamlin has a pair of poles and high 10s in 4 journeys to Nashville, almost profitable final yr’s five-overtime marathon earlier than finally operating out of gasoline. Intermediates haven’t been sort to him in 2025 with only one high 15 in 5 begins (Homestead-Miami, fifth), however his 56 profession Cup victories show that he can win nearly anyplace.
2.Tyler Reddick
Began: twelfth
Completed: twenty sixth
What occurred: After ending fourth or higher in every of the primary three phases, Reddick’s evening received derailed with a pit highway rushing penalty at Lap 348. Add salt to the wound, Reddick fenced the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota on the backstretch within the closing laps — straight in entrance of then-leader Byron — struggling front-end injury en path to a end two laps off the race.
What’s subsequent: Reddick completed third final yr at Nashville, his solely constructive in 4 begins on the monitor. He’s driving a stretch of 5 finishes of 14th or worse — oddly uncharacteristic for the reigning regular-season champion. As he’s nonetheless trying to find his first win of the 2025 marketing campaign, perhaps Reddick and crew chief Billy Scott can construct off the positives from Sunday and final yr’s Nashville race to lastly return to Victory Lane.
3. Ryan Blaney
Began: twenty first
Completed: thirty eighth
What occurred: Blaney’s day ended prematurely after struggling terminal injury in a crash at Lap 245. Exiting Flip 4, Chase Briscoe made contact with Blaney, the 2023 Coca-Cola 600 winner, sending him into the wall and receiving a blow from Daniel Suárez, who Briscoe additionally clipped. Blaney didn’t rating any stage factors on the night, however he was trending the precise course after a less-than-ideal mid-pack beginning place.
What’s subsequent: The 31-year-old stays Crew Penske’s remaining driver with no win in 2025, and Nashville could possibly be the right place to show his luck round. Blaney has a pair of high 10s in 4 begins — the 2 blips crashes in races the place he confirmed contending velocity. Teammate Joey Logano gained the race final yr to kickstart his championship marketing campaign, so who is aware of, perhaps the identical could possibly be in retailer for Blaney.
