NASCAR Charlotte race winners and losers: Kyle Larson crashes, Ross Chastain from worst to first

May 26, 2025 - 09:30

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NASCAR Charlotte race winners and losers: Kyle Larson crashes, Ross Chastain from worst to first

The story of the day was supposed to be Kyle Larson running the double — starting and completing the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte.

Well, Larson did take the headlines, but it wasn't for completing the 1,100-mile day. It was for a pair of DNFs after his day in each race ended in crashes.

Larson wrecked on Lap 91 at Indianapolis and Lap 245 in Charlotte ending his long day.

At the end of the day, Ross Chastain won his first race of the season after starting last.

Here are our winners and losers after NASCAR's longest race of the season.

Winners

Ross Chastain

Chastain passed race leader William Byron with five laps left to win the Coca-Cola 600 for his first win of the 2025 season. That was a perfect ending to a horrible start to the race weekend. Chastain started the race 40th after wrecking in practice on May 24. He is the first driver to win after starting last (not due to a penalty) since Richard Petty at Richmond in the spring 1971 race.

Chastain's crew worked until 2:30 a.m. on May 25 on Chastain's backup to have it ready for the race. All that work paid off for Chastain, who passed Byron in the waning moments for his first win of the season. That gives him plenty of momentum heading entering the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville, a race he won in 2023.

William Byron

Byron was the top car of the race. He won the first three stages. He just didn't have the best car at the end of the night. Chastain passed him with five laps left, giving Byron second place. Byron led 283 of 400 laps.

A.J. Allmendinger

Almendinger collected his first top-five finish of the season. He finished fourth after starting fifth in the Coca-Cola 600.

Losers

Kyle Larson

The novelty of Larson wanting to do the double has worn off after a dud of a day. Larson crashed in both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600, finishing with DNFs in both.

"Bummer of a day all around," Larson told Fox Sports after the Charlotte crash.

Larson crashed on Lap 91 in the Indy 500 and finished 27th. He made it to Charlotte in time for the Coca-Cola 600, but crashed on Lap 245.

Ryan Blaney

The letters DNF are becoming way too synonymous with Ryan Blaney in 2025. Blaney did not finish his fifth race of the NASCAR Cup Series season. There have only been 13 Cup points races this season. That's not a good stat line for the former NASCAR Cup Series champion.