NASCAR: Ross Chastain actually saved Denny Hamlin

Ross Chastain’s insane move to advance to the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 actually saved Denny Hamlin from even bigger disappointment.

The field is set for the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway this coming Sunday afternoon. Team Penske’s Joey Logano, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell, Trackhouse Racing Team’s Ross Chastain, and Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott are set to battle for the title.

Logano advanced to the final round by winning the round of 8 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Bell advanced by winning this past Sunday’s round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway. Chastain and Elliott advanced on points.

Chastain pulled off an absolutely bizarre move to jump from 10th to fifth place in the final corner on the final lap, securing his spot in the Championship 4.

Chastain and Elliott, who finished in 11th place, both ended up finishing four points ahead of Hamlin, who was the first driver below the Championship 4 cut line after finishing in sixth.

But while he was two points behind Hamlin for the final spot before making the move, Chastain technically didn’t need to make it.

And we’re not just saying he only needed to make two spots up, not five. He literally didn’t need to make it at all.

Doing so, however, saved Hamlin from even more disappointment.

It’s a bit complicated, but it’s true.

RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski, who finished the race in fourth place, ended up being disqualified after the race when his #6 Ford failed post-race technical inspection due to its failure to meet the minimum weight requirement.

Of course, absolutely nobody could have anticipated this at the time, so at the time, Chastain’s move is what sealed him a Championship 4 spot.

Here’s where things get interesting.

Chastain entered the race with 4,101 points, while Elliott entered with 4,093 and Hamlin entered with 4,082. After the first two stages, Chastain had 4,105, Elliott had 4,111, and Hamlin had 4,102.

Chastain finished both stage one and stage two in ninth place, scoring two points in each. Elliott finished both in second, scoring nine in each, and Hamlin won both, scoring 10 in each.

Entering the last lap, Hamlin was running in fifth place (32 points) with Chastain in 10th (27) and Elliott in 11th (26).

Such an outcome would have meant that Elliott finished with 4,137 points, Hamlin finished with 4,134, and Chastain finished on the outside of the Championship 4 with 4,132.

Instead, Chastain finished in fifth place (32 points), Hamlin finished in sixth (31), and Elliott finished in 11th (26). Chastain and Elliott had 4,137 points, while Hamlin had 4,133.

But factoring in Keselowski’s disqualification, Chastain and Hamlin would have been tied before the move was made, and Chastain owned the tiebreaker after finishing the round of 8’s first two races in second place.

All three drivers gained a point when it was determined that Keselowski would be disqualified and therefore would not be included in the final race results. But Chastain actually gained a total of three points, while Hamlin and Elliott only gained that one.

Keselowski finished stage one in sixth place and stage two in seventh. With him disqualified, Chastain was promoted to eighth in each, netting him an additional two points.

So he technically had 4,107 points entering the final stage.

Excluding Keselowski, Hamlin would have been running in fourth place (33 points) on the last lap prior to Chastain’s move. Chastain would have been running in ninth (28) and Elliott would have been running in 10th (27).

Using those numbers, Elliott was slated to have 4,138 points while Hamlin and Chastain were each slated to have 4,135 points.

Because of the tiebreaker, that would have been enough to get Chastain into the Championship 4 over Hamlin.

So how did him making the bizarre move he made save Hamlin?

Because had he not done so, Hamlin would have lost his Championship 4 spot well after the race ended, when it was determined that Keselowski’s #6 Ford was illegal.

That disappointment probably would have been a lot more devastating for Hamlin than looking up and seeing Chastain, who had been five cars behind him just seconds prior, beside him at the checkered flag.

Chastain took matters into his own hands and ended it before a post-race decision could affect anything. Officially, excluding Keselowski, Chastain was scored in fourth place and ended up with 4,140 points. Elliott was scored in 10th and ended up with 4,138. Hamlin was scored in fifth and ended up with 4,134.

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 is set to be broadcast live on NBC from Phoenix Raceway beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, November 6. Take advantage of FuboTV’s offer and begin a free trial now!