Trackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain decided to make his move for the win just a couple seconds into Sunday's EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) with a divebomb that had less than 0% chance of working out for anybody, and it sent Hendrick Motorsports' Chase Elliott into a spin that knocked him from third to 37th (last) place.
And as it turns out, Chastain did not, in fact, win the 95-lap race in turn one of lap one around the 20-turn, 2.3-mile (3.701-kilometer) Austin, Texas road course.
A profanity-laced radio exchange between an infuriated Elliott and his team ensued, vowing payback against the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet who has a lengthy history of overaggression with pretty much everybody in the field at this point.
Just one week after discussing Carson Hocevar's not-nearly-as-outrageous on-track approach as his mentor, Chastain was forced to eat crow.
Chase Elliott makes up 33 spots after Ross Chastain divebomb
But instead of worrying about payback, Elliott worried about demonstrating his natural road course ability, which we've still seen more often than not during the Next Gen era, even amid his long road course losing streak. Elliott is third in all-time road course wins, but all seven of his victories came in the Gen 6 car.
And in doing so, he nearly repeated a remarkable feat that he pulled off at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in 2019.
Elliott was dominating the race that day, but he made a mistake on a restart and sailed into the turn one barrier. His day appeared to be over, as he fell to 31st place. But the No. 9 Chevrolet was not severely damaged due to the contact, and he was able to continue.
As the race progressed, it looked like a may be able to salvage a top 10 finish. Then a top five finish. Then a top three finish...
And in the final stage alone, he proceeded to pass every single one of the 30 cars in front of him and won anyway. He celebrated what was an absolutely sensational drive by reenacting the mistake in turn one.
He nearly repeated history on Sunday.
Elliott was able to get stage points with a fifth place finish in stage one by staying out while most of the other drivers pit, and it appeared that he was just doing everything he could do to score as many points as possible with the knowledge that a decent race result was out the window.
After pitting for repairs, tires, and fuel, he restarted at the back of the field, indicating that the P5 was sort of a mirage.
He drove his way through about half the field and hovered around the 18th to 22nd range for much of the race. He had worked his way into the top 15 before the final caution, when he decided to pit again for new tires. That decision allowed him to keep picking off cars and work his way all the way up to fourth by the checkered flag.
Though he was never truly in the battle for the win, a late caution or even just a few more laps might have told a different story for the 2021 COTA winner. By the time lap 95 came around, he was by far the fastest driver on the track and had shaved several seconds off the lead of the top three.
Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell ultimately prevailed over Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron and 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick. Byron won the race in 2024 after Reddick won it in 2023, so the top four was ultimately comprised of four of COTA's five Cup Series winners.
Chastain, who won at COTA in 2022, finished in 12th place. He was passed by Elliott late in the race without issue, as Elliott was able to calm down throughout the 95-lap event and focus on frying bigger fish.
Race number four on the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Shriners Children's 500, which is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 from Phoenix Raceway beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 9. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss it!