The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Chastain gets first Cup win with aggressive moves in OT
Pitbull is somewhere smashing watermelons and drinking champagne.
Ross Chastain and Trackhouse Racing became first-time Cup winners Sunday when Chastain bashed and banged his way around the final lap of overtime at the Circuit of the Americas road course in Austin, Texas.
He tangled with friend and former teammate AJ Allmendinger to secure his first victory in 121 Cup starts. Chastain won in his sixth race with Trackhouse, which is co-owned by Pitbull.
The eighth-generation watermelon farmer from Florida celebrated by spiking a watermelon from the top of his winning Chevrolet. Trackhouse founder Justin Marks said “Mr. Worldwide” told him in a post-race phone call that he was doing the same with a bottle of bubbles.
“I said I’ll join him as soon as I can,” Marks said.
The win is complex for Chastain, who justified his aggressive lastlap moves against Allmendinger as what’s required to win in the Cup Series. Chastain gave initial pause at what damage he may have done in the relationship with his onetime mentor. The two were Xfinity Series teammates at Kaulig Racing.
“AJ is so good, I’ve learned so much from him, and it’s like ‘How do you beat the guy? He taught me so much!’” Chastain said. “I feel bad about AJ. I mean, he’s gonna be upset with me but we raced hard and he owes me one.”
Allmendinger, winner of the Xfinity Series race for Kaulig on Saturday, was openly annoyed after a mandatory trip to the care center. He crashed when Chastain used a divebomb to retake the lead for the final time. The move sent Allmendinger spinning into Alex Bowman and off the course. Allmendinger finished 33rd.
“At the end of the day, we all have to look ourselves in the mirror. If you are OK with it, you’re OK with it. Each person is different,” he said of how Chastain raced him.
“I was doing everything I could do to try to sweep the weekend. We were that close. We know we had a shot to win the race.”
By the time Chastain made it to the post-race news conference, barreling through the doors with a watermelon in hand and a celebratory howl, he didn’t sound very concerned about Allmendinger.
“I did what I did,” Chastain said. “I stand by it.”
But then he waffled again, acknowledging he’s been overly aggressive in his difficult struggle to land a Cup ride with a top team.
Overtime produced the most aggressive action of a long Sunday of racing on the permanent road course used primarily for Formula One. The race had nine cautions and ran 3 hours, 20 minutes.
Alex Bowman finished second for Hendrick Motorsports and a Chevrolet sweep. Christopher Bell was third for Toyota and followed by Chase Elliott of Hendrick, the defending race winner. Tyler Reddick was fifth and pole-sitter Ryan Blaney was the highest-finishing Ford driver in sixth.
The Cup Series races Sunday at Richmond Raceway in Virginia.