Ross Chastain's move to advance in NASCAR playoffs falls short

NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain. Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

Ross Chastain's wild move to advance in NASCAR playoffs falls short

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Oct 5, 2025 7:05 PM ET

Ross Chastain is no stranger to making crazy moves in pivotal situations.

He did it just three years ago at Martinsville Speedway, wall-riding around the final corner to make the Championship 4.

Why Ross Chastain made a wild move in Bank of America Roval 400

He was forced to make another wild move on the final lap of Sunday's Bank of America Roval 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. With Joey Logano holding the provisional transfer spot, Chastain needed to pass Denny Hamlin in the final corner to advance.

The problem? Chastain was on much older tires than Hamlin, meaning he wouldn't be able to make a clean pass.

That led Chastain to send his No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet as deep as humanly possible into the frontstretch chicane.

Another look at the finish at the @CLTMotorSpdwy ROVAL. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/1unkICDFvk
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 5, 2025

The result was likely not what Chastain intended. Rather than moving Hamlin out of the way, or even spinning him out of the way, Chastain also spun himself.

Chastain drove backwards across the finish line, coming home in 21st. He did not transfer to the Round of 8.

Logano, meanwhile, advanced to the penultimate round of the postseason and will get a chance to defend his 2024 title. Logano, a three-time Cup Series champion, could tie Jeff Gordon with four championships if he were to win the 2025 title.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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