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Motorsport

Nick DeGroot

Ross Chastain on issue that left him with last-place finish and ended Chase hopes

Ross Chastain Chase New Hampshire

Entering New Hampshire, Ross Chastain was still a longshot in the battle to make the 2027 NASCAR Cup Chase, but his chances are now officially over.

Just 41 laps into the race, Chastain took his No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet behind the wall, and his day was over. Chastain finished 36th (last), scoring just one point. It was also Chastain's first last-place finish of the 2026 season.

So, what went wrong? While running 11th, Chastain began to slow and smoke billowed out of the right-front in the corners.

“There was an issue internally in the engine," explained Chastain after climbing out of the car. "There was oil coming out of the exhaust pipe. I felt the No. 1 Kubota Chevy losing power and just rode it out during the caution, but unfortunately, we couldn't continue. It’s just an unfortunate end to our run towards the Chase. The speed has gotten better, so we’ll hopefully keep moving forward on that. That’s the important part. With the things in our control, we were able to make them better through the summer. I’ve learned that’s really tough to do in the NASCAR Cup Series. We did get better, but we’ve got a ways to go.”

Chastain has made the Chase/playoffs in three of the last five seasons, placing as high as second in the 2022 championship.

The last time Chastain failed to make the top 16 was in 2024, and he went on to win one of the final ten races at Kansas Speedway. He is currently facing a 49-race winless streak that dates back to the 66th running of the Coca-Cola 600 in May of 2025.

Trackhouse still has one shot of making the Chase via Shane van Gisbergen, who sits on the bubble entering the Daytona cutoff race with a 31-point cushion.

Photos from New Hampshire - Sunday

66NASCAR Cup

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing, Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

John Hunter Nemechek, Richard Petty Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Joey Logano, Team Penske, Austin Hill, Richard Childress Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

John Hunter Nemechek, Richard Petty Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

John Hunter Nemechek, Richard Petty Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Club, Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports, Joey Logano, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Chris Buescher, RFK Racing, Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Joey Logano, Team Penske, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Joey Logano, Team Penske, Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Ryan Preece, RFK Racing, Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing, Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Riley Herbst, 23XI Racing, Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

General view

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports, Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports, Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing, Joey Logano, Team Penske, Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Joey Logano, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

General view

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

General view

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

Ryan Blaney, Team Penske

New Hampshire - Sunday, in photos

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