By RaceScene Publisher on Monday, 26 June 2023
Category: The Checkered Flag

Ross Chastain completes dominant outing in Trackhouse home race

Trackhouse Racing Team is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, so it only made sense for Trackhouse driver Ross Chastain to turn Sunday’s race at Nashville Superspeedway into his finest outing as a NASCAR Cup Series driver to date. He started on the pole for the first time in his Cup career and led nearly a third of the race en route to his first victory of the 2023 season.

Chastain led 99 of 300 laps, nearly twice as many as the second most by Martin Truex Jr. Although Truex tried to catch Chastain in the closing laps, he was unable to do so.

“I first met Martin Truex Jr. at a Bass Pro Shops in Fort Myers, Florida when our local one opened,” recalled Chastain. “He signed a Chevy Trucks hat for me. Still have it on my childhood bedroom wall hanging up. The Sharpie has about faded off, barely still there. He was a hero, idol of mine.

“To go to battle against him, have criticism from him, go back and forth, then to have him air block me at Dover like he did, when I thought we were just as fast, was humbling. To go up against my heroes like that, to beat him tonight, drive by him and the #11 (Denny Hamlin), was definitely a statement. It felt good.”

Tyler Reddick and Hamlin won the first two stages, but the former was taken out of contention during green-flag stops on lap 140 when his right-rear wheel came off as he came to pit. He was held for a lap and rejoined the race two laps down, eventually having to settle for a distant thirtieth.

Reddick’s incident was one of two race-related cautions. The second and largest came on the restart following the Reddick spin when Brad Keselowski had a poor jump, causing those behind him to stack up. As they tried to dodge Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch collided which caused the former to shoot into the inside wall, which is not reinforced by SAFER barriers.

“I don’t know why there’s no safer barrier there,” said Blaney. “That’s pretty ridiculous, honestly. Hardest hit I’ve ever had in my life.”

After the race, a particularly bizarre accident occurred when Chastain’s team-mate Daniel Suárez attempted to join him on track to celebrate, only to hit Chase Briscoe as he and the rest of the field were coming to pit road upon completing their cooldown lap.

Xfinity Series race winner A.J. Allmendinger finished tenth.

Race results

FinishStartNumberDriverTeamManufacturerLapsStatus
111Ross ChastainTrackhouse Racing TeamChevrolet300Running
2619Martin Truex Jr.Joe Gibbs RacingToyota300Running
3811Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs RacingToyota300Running
4149Chase ElliottHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet300Running
575Kyle LarsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet300Running
6524William ByronHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet300Running
72220Christopher BellJoe Gibbs RacingToyota300Running
82343Erik JonesLegacy Motor ClubChevrolet300Running
9118Kyle BuschRichard Childress RacingChevrolet300Running
101916A.J. AllmendingerKaulig RacingChevrolet300Running
11206Brad KeselowskiRFK RacingFord300Running
121099Daniel SuárezTrackhouse Racing TeamChevrolet300Running
13263Austin DillonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet300Running
141654Ty GibbsJoe Gibbs RacingToyota300Running
15923Bubba Wallace23XI RacingToyota300Running
162541Ryan PreeceStewart-Haas RacingFord300Running
171548Alex BowmanHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet300Running
181217Chris BuescherRFK RacingFord300Running
19422Joey LoganoTeam PenskeFord300Running
20367Corey LaJoieSpire MotorsportsChevrolet300Running
213121Harrison BurtonWood Brothers RacingFord300Running
222847Ricky Stenhouse Jr.JTG Daugherty RacingChevrolet299Running
23331Justin HaleyKaulig RacingChevrolet299Running
24174Kevin HarvickStewart-Haas RacingFord299Running
252110Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas RacingFord299Running
263042Noah GragsonLegacy Motor ClubChevrolet299Running
27242Austin CindricTeam PenskeFord299Running
283334Michael McDowellFront Row MotorsportsFord299Running
292951J.J. Yeley*Rick Ware RacingFord298Running
30245Tyler Reddick23XI RacingToyota298Running
311814Chase BriscoeStewart-Haas RacingFord298Running
323477Ty DillonSpire MotorsportsChevrolet298Running
333215Brennan Poole*Rick Ware RacingFord297Running
343578Josh Bilicki*Live Fast MotorsportsChevrolet297Running
352738Todd GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord296Running
361312Ryan BlaneyTeam PenskeFord146Accident
Italics – Competing for Rookie of the Year
* – Ineligible for points
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