For a moment, it looked like Ross Chastain was finally about to crack the code at Watkins Glen. The Trackhouse Racing star powered his way to the front in Friday’s Truck Series race, putting himself in prime position for what would have been just the second road course victory of his NASCAR career. However, the whole thing unravelled in classic Chastain chaos. And the Florida native didn’t dodge taking responsibility for his mistake.

” So, yeah, very humbling to just do that and go early, not acceptable, and then, yeah, tear myself up for 20th,” he said post-race. “Made it worse. Now, they moved the zone, like, up about 80 to 100 feet. I smashed the gas early. There’s a couple lines, and I definitely went early, so, all right, I think I pretty sure I did.”

With 14 laps remaining, the 31-year-old driver controlled the field as the race leader. But instead of launching perfectly, he smashed the throttle too soon, and NASCAR instantly hit him with a restart violation. The penalty sent him all the way to the rear, completely flipping the race on its head just when it mattered most.

Chastain couldn’t believe it in the moment, exploding over the radio: “How the f— can you get a penalty if you’re the control car?”

Under NASCAR’s restart rules, the leader, designated as the “control car,” is required to maintain a steady pace and cannot accelerate before reaching the designated restart zone, a line marked on the track surface. Still, there is a critical piece of context that made the mistake more understandable, if not excusable.

NASCAR had moved the restart zone this year closer to the entrance of the final corner, between Turn 6 and Turn 7. While a new white line was painted across the track to mark the start of the zone, a faded black timing line from the old zone sat just before it, creating a visual trap.

Jordan Bianchi, Motorsports Reporter for The Athletic, also posted on X, writing, “Connor Zilisch said it was difficult to identify the restart line as there are similar looking timing lines in the area. This echoes what Austin Dillon said in the FS1 booth. Zilisch said he plans to post something in the drivers’ chat.”

Now, though, the race is in the rearview mirror, and it definitely didn’t bring the ideal start Chastain was hoping for. The 31-year-old was pulling triple duty at the Glen alongside his Trackhouse Racing teammates, juggling the Trucks, O’Reilly, and the Cup race.

Driving the No.45 truck for Niece Motorsports, the Florida native fought through qualifying issues, starting 33rd due to an electrical problem. Yet, he marched to the front and was trading punches with teenage road course stars Connor Zilisch and Brent Crews. Still, as fate had it, even after serving the penalty and desperately trying to charge back through the field, Chastain’s day finally came apart on lap 69 when he got tangled up with Timmy Hill while battling for positions deeper in the pack.

Gio Ruggiero also got hit with a restart violation from the lead during the penultimate restart, although his situation appeared far less clear-cut after what looked like a shove from behind.

But as Chastain’s day ended in misery, another driver couldn’t help but capitalize on the chaos to win his first-ever Truck race, and that too at The Glen.

Kaden Honeycutt sweeps up a clean victory

What followed was peak Watkins Glen chaos. The closing laps turned into a complete, caution-stacked, restart-fuelled frenzy as the field kept wrecking before anyone could settle into a rhythm.

While Ross Chastain never made it to the finish as he wished, it was Kaden Honeycutt standing tall when the dust finally settled.

The 22-year-old pulled off a huge upset in the Bully Hill Vineyards 176, blasting past road course standout Connor Zilisch on the final restart and hanging on for his first-ever truck series victory in his 67th career start. And this came just hours after he took the ARCA Menards Series race earlier in the afternoon, to complete a stunning Friday sweep at the New York road course.

“It’s amazing,” Honeycutt said post-race. “Thank you Toyota, this whole 11 group. I can’t believe I just won on a road course. The restart, I think Zilisch missed a shift a little bit coming off of [turn] 7. As soon as I got the lead, I pulled my visor up and was full-on focused after that.”

Notably, Honeycutt had also drawn a penalty near the end of Stage 2 for pitting when pit road was closed, forcing him to restart the final 32-lap stage from the rear of the field, which made his march back to the front all the more remarkable.

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