Ross Chastain's playoff hopes took a hit Sunday afternoon after an unexpected crash at Pocono Raceway.
The driver of the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet Camaro hit the Turn 3 outside wall on Lap 53, bringing out the third caution of Sunday's Cup Series race. The rear of Chastain's car hit the wall and then the front collided immediately after.
Chastain made it back to his pit stall, but the team could not get him back into the race. He ended the day 36th in the running order, ahead of only Noah Gragson who crashed in the opening stage.
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— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 14, 2024
The Trackhouse Racing driver told his team over the radio that he had lost steering before the crash that ended his race. He then told NBC Sports that he "just spun out" and "gave it too much gas."
"I'm just worried about why I spun out," Chastain said after exiting the infield care center. "I'm a race car driver in the NASCAR Cup Series, I shouldn't be doing that.
"You don't see us do that too often, so when I do it myself, I'm as surprised as everybody else."
Chastain entered the Pocono race 53 points above the playoff cutline. He was ahead of Chris Buescher, the final driver in the playoff picture, by eight points. Bubba Wallace was 53 points behind Chastain as the first driver out of a playoff spot.
The crash opened up an opportunity for Wallace, who entered the Pocono weekend with only two top-10 finishes in the past eight races. However, he and the No. 23 team had to make some progress at the 2.5-mile track.
Wallace began the race 29th in the running order after nearly crashing in qualifying. He struggled during the opening stage and ultimately made his first pit stop of the day with six laps left in the stage. He missed out on stage points but still pulled within 42 points of Chastain at the time of the crash.
Five races remain in the regular season after Pocono. The Cup drivers will head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 21 for the first race on the 2.5-mile oval since 2020. They will then have two weeks off for the Olympics.
The regular season ends with Richmond Raceway (Aug. 11), Michigan International Speedway (Aug. 18), Daytona International Speedway (Aug. 24), and Darlington Raceway (Sept. 1).