Willaim Byron stated after the race that the crash was not on purpose.
The NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday saw the 2020 champion end his 42-race winless streak that began last year at Talladega. He managed to avoid multiple incidents that occurred around him with his composed driving, which ultimately put him in the lead during overtime and secured the victory.
Chase Elliott did not cross the finish line first to win; instead, his victory came under caution. During the second overtime restart, the No. 9 Chevrolet lined up alongside the No. 1 Chevrolet at the front. They engaged in a fierce battle for the lead, and on the final corner of the first lap, Elliott took the lead.
The driver from HMS created enough distance between himself and Chastain while taking the white flag. Behind the two leaders, the driver who had been fighting for third place managed to overtake the 2012 champion. The No. 24 Chevrolet then attempted to overtake Chastain, but it resulted in a disastrous outcome.
Byron made contact with Chastain’s bumper, causing the Trackhouse car to lose control and crash into the outside wall. NASCAR immediately called for caution, and Elliott was declared the winner. Initially, the No. 24 car was awarded second place, but upon reviewing the finish, it was determined that the No. 6 Ford of Keselowski was in second place when the caution flag was waved.
After being released from the infield care center, Ross Chastain politely declined to answer questions from the media about what happened during the final lap. Byron, on the other hand, did speak to the media about the incident and explained why he collided with Chastain.
He acknowledged that it was an unfortunate occurrence and emphasized that it was not intentional. After the white flag was waved, he had a strong run and hoped that his momentum would be enough to overtake Chastain, but things did not go as planned.
While both Byron and Elliott have secured playoff spots by winning races, Chastain is still seeking his first victory of 2024. He will be hoping to achieve that in the upcoming race at Talladega, where he previously won in 2022.