Ross Chastain reacts to Denny Hamlin win at Michigan

Ross Chastain started in P20 at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, but he elevated to finish P6 on the afternoon. He thought he could’ve competed for the win during the final run in the FireKeepers Casino 400, but the Trackhouse Racing star realized he didn’t have anything for race-winner Denny Hamlin.

While Hamlin made his charge to the front, he whizzed by Chastain, and that’s when it began to sink in for the Florida native that he wasn’t going to Victory Lane. Still, he had an impressive drive, finishing just outside the top five. Chastain evaluated his afternoon while speaking with the media afterwards.

“We saved fuel the whole second-half of the run, so we were fine there at the end and I was able to start pushing hard again. I couldn’t really make much more lap time. You’re off the gas for 20 laps and you think, ‘Oh, I’m giving up all this lap time,’ and you go and get a tenth back on a big track like this. I think we finished about where we should have,” Chastain stated, via NBC Sports.

“When (Denny Hamlin) passed me on that last run, I was like, ‘I don’t have that,’ so hats off to those guys. They’ve been impressive. We just haven’t been quite that good to drive up and pass those guys, but it was a solid sixth-place finish for the No. 1 Chevrolet team.”

Even though Chastain couldn’t get to the front to compete for the win in Michigan, a P6 is nothing to scoff at. It continues a trend of consistent, impressive finishes for the Trackhouse Racing wheelman.

On the season, Chastain has one win, coming in the Coca-Cola 600 a couple of weeks ago. He’s P8 overall in the point standings, amassing eight top tens and three top fives, along with 158 laps led. Additionally, the 32-year old has been the flag bearer by a wide margin for Trackhouse in 2025.

While Chastain didn’t have enough to get to Hamlin on Sunday, he’ll have other chances to contend throughout the summer. He already has his first win, locked into the playoffs. Now, it’ll be about stacking checkered flags over the next few weeks.

One thing is for sure, Ross Chastain has become a driver you have to keep your eye on week-in and week-out. He can contend for the win at any track on the schedule, even if Denny Hamlin got the best of him this weekend.