236 feet was all that kept Ross Chastain for a championship a year ago. Now, double digit points kept him from advancing to the Round of 8. On Sunday, Chastain was eliminated in the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs on the heels of a disappointing 10th place finish in his No. 1 Chevrolet.

Chastain just didn’t have it on Sunday and quite honestly just lacked the speed to win this season as a whole.

1 win in 32 races so far left him far less competitive than he was in 2022.

He entered the day below the cutline and while he scored 13 stage points, it wasn’t enough to seriously contend for that 8th and final spot to the third round. A crash in Talladega left him 37th and despite a runner-up finish in Texas, it wasn’t enough to advance him on.

“We knew coming in that it was going to be tough,” Chastain said. “We put together a heck of a day for us on road courses this year in this No. 1 Worldwide Express Chevy. Lately, we’ve just been lacking speed and I can’t get over the curbs. There’s a lot of reasons. We’ve reverted on some of that through Watkins Glen (International) and to here (Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course) and it’s really paid off. I’m excited with the gains we’ve made.”

Chastain has had just 2 top 5 finishes in his last 15 starts of the season. That and only having 17 stage points in the 14 races prior to Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 is why he was eliminated.

Part of that goes to his Saturday’s. Chastain has qualified 19th or worse in 11 of the last 15 races.

Another part goes to him turning down his temperament some. He ruffled some feathers early on again. After a late race clash with Kyle Larson in the spring race at Darlington, Rick Hendrick voiced his displeasure.

Chastain wasn’t the same again.

Prior to that, he had finished 9th, 3rd, 12th, 24th, 13th, 4th, 3rd, 28th, 13th, 23rd, 2nd, 5th. He head led 93 laps in that race alone and lined up with Larson on the front row for two late race restarts.

However, that contact and ruined the win for both also slowed Chastain down after.

Prior to that, Chastain had led 347 laps. After? 136. 99 of those 136 came in his Nashville win in late June.

From 5 top 5 finishes and 6 top 10’s in the first 13 races to 3 top 5 finishes, 6 top 10’s over the last 19.