NCS: Ross Chastain wins NASCAR Championship Race; Ryan Blaney 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Champion - Speedway Digest

From February to November and 35 weeks of racing led up to this, the NASCAR Cup Series championship race. Following a good qualifying run championship contender William Byron would start from the pole and clear away on the green flag bringing Kevin Harvick in his final race with him to second.

As the first stage would come to an end, Byron would end up leading every lap in the stage over Kevin Harvick who closed within a couple tenths of the lead but unable to get close enough while working traffic. Rounding out the top-five in the first stage would be Chastain, Wallace, and Larson.

All four of the championship drivers would finish in the top-10 with Bell finishing 9^th and Blaney 10^th.

After leading 93 laps, Byron would lose the lead for the first time of the day when Harvick would take control of the race.

Caution would come out once again for the second time of the day when championship contender Christopher Bell would blow a rotor and slam into the wall ending not only his day but his chance at a championship with a 36^th place finish on the day.

Chastain would take the lead on the restart leading 54 laps before ceding the lead over to Buescher who had worked himself from the third spot over the 50 plus laps to take the lead just past halfway.

With half the championship event complete Byron would continue in the lead for the championship running in the fifth spot with both Blaney and Larson behind but neither having a car to advance on the No. 24 machine.

Stage two would end with Buescher taking home the stage win over Chastain and Harvick. Only three of the championship four would still be running with Byron in the lead of those running in the fourth spot, Blaney would end the stage in sixth and Larson rounding out those still running in seventh.

Green flag stops would come with under 75 to go Byron would be the first of the three championship drivers to hit pit road followed by Larson and Blaney. Following the stops Blaney would continue to lead the championship, but Larson would be able to pick up one spot by beating Byron off pit road during the cycle.

Following the stops Blaney would chase down Chastain for the lead taking it away with 54 laps to go before Chastain would rally back to take the lead back again. Blaney wouldn’t give up when three laps later would once again work himself back to the lead before Chastain would take the lead back.

Blaney would end up getting into Chastain and getting loose allowing Truex to get around and take the position putting the three-championship contended nose to tail. With Truex trying to fight with Chastain for the lead it would once again allow Blaney to close back in and take second place.

With laps closing to the end the fourth caution of the day would come out when Busch would go for a spin on the front stretch changing the strategy and forcing teams back to pit road.

Following the pit stops under caution Larson who was second in the championship running prior to the caution would come out in third and the lead for the championship with Byron picking up a spot coming out in fifth over Blaney who had been the championship leader but losing spots on pit road to coming out in sixth and third in the running for the championship.

Blaney on the restart would get around Byron and set his eyes on Larson for the championship lead finally getting to the bumper of the No. 5 machine for the second spot tagging each other before Larson would get loose allowing Blaney to get around and take the spot away.

Chastain would continue to lead while the pair would battle it out allowing Chastain to move out to a more than two second lead. Blaney would clear away from Larson and try to close the gap to Chastain coming within one-second of the lead when the checkered flag would fall on Ross Chastain winning the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race.

“We did something else that’s never been done before. For everyone on this team, this vision for Trackhouse and was goals like this. They were lofty.” Said Chastain

“Obviously next year with Busch Light, I couldn’t think of anything I would want to do more, is to try to be like Kevin Harvick. Racing him early in the race was bucket list little kid in me, racing that 2005 game, I drove as the 29 GM Goodwrench car. Now I’m driving a Chevy for GM to Victory Lane, a Camaro.

I am beside myself that we were able to do that. That last caution we were really tight. It saved us. Phil Surgen and this group at Trackhouse, all of our GM support staff, sim staff, everybody came up with a way to make this thing turn, and we drove off into the sunset.” Continued Chastain

But it would be Ryan Blaney with a second-place finish that would clinch the Cup Series Championship for the No. 12 team, Larson would end up third, Byron fourth and Christopher Bell would finish last out of the race in 36^th as the four championship contenders.

“Just so proud of this team. Unbelievable year, unbelievable Playoffs for us. To win back-to-back Cup titles for Mr. Penske, that’s so special. Having my family here, winning my first Cup title, I got emotional in the car. I’m not a very emotional guy.” Said Blaney

“I didn’t want a caution. Once I got to the white, felt pretty good about it. It’s just about getting there, finishing it off. Didn’t want a yellow. Everyone kept it straight. I want to shout-out also Kyle and William, that was fun racing those guys all day, and the 20 Bell, unfortunately he broke. Racing those two guys at the end, racing clean, that’s what racing is all about. It was a lot of fun.

You never want to count yourself out. I mean, I think in the summer we were struggling a little bit. But we never gave up. We just went to work. I’ve said that all week, like, this group goes to work and they figure out problems. That’s why they’re such an amazing group to be with, with the Team Penske folks, ’cause they just put their head down and do the work, accept the challenge.” Continued Blaney

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is where I would normally add in where we go next but I’d like to take the opportunity to tell everyone to enjoy the off-season and to have a happy and safe Thanksgiving and Christmas, LA Coliseum will be here before you know it.