First win for Trackhouse: Ross Chastain wins a Cup race for the first time, smashing a Florida watermelon in Victory Lane
It’s been apparent through the first five races of the 2022 NASCAR season: Trackhouse has been a competitive NASCAR team since buying the Ganassi organisation and switching to the Next Gen car. Ross Chastain, who has recorded three top-five results so far in the 2022 season, secured his first Cup win in a heart-stopping finish. It was also the first win for Justin Marks’ team.
The “Watermelon” man from Florida, who grew up on his family’s watermelon farm in Florida, pushed his way to victory in typical NASCAR fashion: on the final lap of the overtime finish, he was only relegated to third place by a touch from A.J. Allmendinger. Alex Bowman then took over the lead.
The three drivers battled it out for the win with a crowbar and ultimately a little push by Chastain against Allmendinger made the difference as Allmendinger’s Kaulig Chevrolet crashed into Bowman’s Hendrick Chevrolet, allowing Chastain to slip through on the inside. That’s how Chastain wrapped up his sixth NASCAR win and first Cup victory.
In Victory Lane, Chastain traditionally smashed a watermelon from his home state – his trademark in a win. Before that, there had been a very disjointed third stage with many yellow phases. Towards the end of the race, the two-time EuroNASCAR champion Loris Hezemans was the first to cause a stoppage because his car broke down.
There was a lot of chaos at the restart in turn 1, which is why yellow flags had to be waved again. At the top, the three-way battle between Chastain, Allmendinger and Bowman developed in overtime, which the Trackhouse driver ultimately won by a tough margin. Bowman finished second, Christopher Bell third, while circuit favourite Chase Elliott was fourth. Allmendinger dropped as low as 33rd.
Viva la Mexico in Stage 1
The first stage of the race was won by Mexican Daniel Suarez at the wheel of the second Trackhouse Chevrolet. The 30-year-old, who drives for Marks and Popstar Pitpull’s team, edged out Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Joey Logano as well as Kyle Larson in a strong segment to earn important bonus points in the championship battle.
But first, the race began with some drivers being reminded of a rather unfamiliar rule for NASCAR: If you drive next to the curb in turns 4 through 6, you get a penalty for disobeying the track limits. Otherwise, unlike in Formula 1, the GP circuit designed by Hermann Tilke could be driven on freely – even well outside the actual limits.
This was actually no problem for the circuit specialists who were involved in COTA. These included Euro-NASCAR champion Hezemans, ex-DTM driver Joey Hand, GT specialist Andy Lally and NASCAR veteran Boris Said. The latter was the first to take a drive-through penalty, followed by Hezemans from the Netherlands, who was making his Cup debut.
While Suarez fought off the competition at the front, things got heated behind the Mexican: Elliott spun Kyle Busch, who dropped way back, while the Toyotas pitted closed before the stage end. They were joined by Austin Cindric, Tyler Reddick and other drivers. Penalties hailed in the pits, but it didn’t bother Suarez at the front.
Denny Hamlin scores important stage points
The second stage went to Gibbs driver and 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin in the 11 Toyota Camry, edging out Busch who had fought his way back to the front after spinning in the first segment. Logano, Blaney and Aric Almirola finished behind.
But where was Stage 1 winner Suarez? The Mexican in trackhouse colours was already turned around on the restart after the segment break and sent back to the back of the field. Champion Larson also briefly dropped out of the top 30. Cindric – the new Penske youngster, who has GT3 and rallycross experience to fall back on and is therefore one of the favourites on the circuits – settled at the front.
However, with many drivers again pitting for strategic reasons at the end of Stage 2, the field was shuffled at the front, which is why Hamlin ultimately took the win and earned ten bonus points. Meanwhile, Cindric and Suarez, among others, pitted for service. Hamlin, meanwhile, celebrated his first Stage win of the 2022 season.
The seventh race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup season already takes place next Sunday at Richmond Raceway. The race will take place at 9:30 p.m. German time and will bring the new next-gen car onto a 0.75-mile oval (1.2 kilometres) for the first time.
