LEBANON, Tenn. -- Ross Chastain capped of a dream weekend in Music City on Sunday night, leading the most laps from the pole before holding off Martin Truex Jr. in the closing laps to win the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. Chastain's victory is his first of the 2023 season and third of his Cup Series career, and it breaks a 42-race winless drought dating back to Talladega in April 2022.
After winning his first career pole in qualifying on Saturday, Chastain's car came to life in the second half of the race on long runs, and he would take the lead for the final time with 34 laps to go before having to navigate lapped traffic and hold off a challenge from Martin Truex Jr. After a daring three-wide move between the lapped cars of J.J. Yeley and Aric Almirola, Chastain was able to drive away as Truex faded in the closing laps.
Chastain's first win of the season also snaps a year-long winless streak for Trackhouse Racing, which dated back to Daniel Suarez's maiden win at Sonoma in 2022.
In the time elapsed since his last win, Chastain has done everything from ride the wall into NASCAR's history books with the "Hail Melon" to become one of NASCAR's most popular and polarizing drivers alike. There have been times where his unapologetic aggression has gotten him into trouble, and it also created a narrative that Chastain had to have the reins pulled on him after multiple on-track issues with other drivers.
But in Nashville, Chastain's driving style paid off with the sweet taste of smashed watermelon, the sweet sound of a Gibson Guitar, and the sweet satisfaction that everything worked out in the end.
"This is why every little kid out there anywhere in the world -- when you get criticized, and you're going to if you're competitive, they will try to tear you down. You will start believing you can't do it," Chastain told NBC Sports. "You have to go to your people, trust in the process, read your books, trust the big man's plan upstairs, just keep getting up and going to work.
"I gotta tell you, a lot of self reflection throughout all this. I had a group that believed in me and they didn't let me get down. They bring rocket ships and I just try to point them to Victory Lane."
There were times during Sunday evening's race where it felt like 300 laps were flying by, as the yellow flag flew only four times -- and just twice for accidents -- during the night. But one of those accidents was of major consequence, as it exposed the absence of something that drivers have come to expect along Nashville's inside wall.
After Tyler Reddick spun on the entry to pit road due to a loose wheel during a cycle of green flag pit stops, the subsequent restart saw another accident get triggered when Brad Keselowski's car failed to fire off. A chain reaction sent Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch spinning to the inside of the track, with Blaney's car taking an odd trajectory toward a wall past the entry to pit road.
Blaney's car hit the wall -- which did not have a SAFER barrier installed -- head on. After being checked and released from the infield care center, the driver of the No. 12 Ford expressed frustration with the lack of an energy-absorbing barrier where he hit.
"When I got out of the grass I thought I was gonna come back around and I'd be okay, but it just never got back right. I don't know why there's no SAFER barrier there. That's pretty ridiculous, honestly," Blaney told NBC Sports. "Hardest hit I've ever had in my life. Happy to be alright."
While Ross Chastain's victory did not directly affect the amount of playoff spots available -- he was already extremely secure on the playoff grid by virtue of points -- he becomes the 11th different winner of the 2023 season and is now virtually assured a playoff spot. While Chastain locked up his playoff berth, a 12th-place finish by his Trackhouse Racing teammate Daniel Suarez gave him the 16th and final spot on the playoff grid by two points over Alex Bowman. Ty Gibbs now stands 10 points back of the cut line, while AJ Allmendinger moved to within 24 points of the cut line with his second straight top 10.
At the top of the points standings, Truex's second-place finish allowed him to hold the points lead by 18 over Chastain and William Byron. The top three in the standings distanced themselves in the race for the regular season championship, as fourth-place Christopher Bell is now 45 points back of the points lead and 27 back of second.
Next week marks a historic occasion for the NASCAR Cup Series, as they will race on a street course for the first time ever at the Chicago Street Course on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
The Melon Man is back in Victory Lane! Ross Chastain wins the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway, giving him his first win of the 2023 season and snapping a 42-race winless streak!
1 - #1 - Ross Chastain
2 - #19 - Martin Truex Jr.
3 - #11 - Denny Hamlin
4 - #9 - Chase Elliott
5 - #5 - Kyle Larson
6 - #24 - William Byron
7 - #20 - Christopher Bell
8 - #43 - Erik Jones
9 - #8 - Kyle Busch
10 - #16 - A.J. Allmendinger
Gap between Chastain and Truex is stable. Looks like Harrison Burton will be the one lapped car Chastain has to worry about. White flag this time by
Ross Chastain had to make his way around the lapped car of Todd Gilliland, which helped Truex gain two tenths. Six tenths of a second gap from first to second with three to go.
Five laps to go. Martin Truex Jr. cut about two tenths off of Chastain's lead, and now they're going to enter another group of lapped cars.
Close call between Joey Logano and Corey LaJoie, who came together off Turn 2 while racing for 18th.
Chastain's lead is up to a second on Truex. Starting to get later in the run, which is when Chastain's car has really come to life during the second half of the race.
10 laps to go for Ross Chastain. His lead is about seven tenths of a second on Martin Truex Jr., and he's currently looking for a way around the lapped car of Brennan Poole. He'll drive to the outside and successfully navigate around Poole, putting him a third lap down.
That move paid off in a big way for Ross Chastain: His lead is now eight tenths of a second on Truex, as Truex is complaining that he has no tires left.
Alex Bowman has passed Chastain to unlap himself. Bowman is 22nd and not a factor with less than 20 to go.
