Why can't Ross Chastain compete in NASCAR Xfinity race at Dover?

NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain was recently announced to drive the #92 Chevrolet for DGM Racing at Dover International Speedway. However, the team announced that Chastain would not participate due to his ineligibility for the event.

Xfinity Series outfit DGM Racing announced on April 16 that the #1 Trackhouse Racing driver would enter five races this season, beginning at Dover International Speedway on April 27. However, as the A-GAME 200 at Dover is a Dash 4 Cash race, Chastain, a full-time Cup driver, is deemed ineligible to compete in the race.

Dash 4 Cash is a mid-season bonus initiative for NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers, with only full-time Xfinity competitors eligible to win the $100,000 bonus. For such events, Cup drivers not contending for points in the Xfinity series are banned from entering the races.

The 2024 edition of the Dash 4 Cash program spans four weekends in April, including the opener at Martinsville, followed by race weekends at Texas, Talladega, and Dover. The Xfinity race at Richmond Raceway served as the qualifier for the first race at Martinsville, where four drivers contended for the bonus.

Former Stewart Haas Racing driver Aric Almirola cashed in $100,000 at Martinsville Speedway, securing his first "real" win for Joe Gibbs. JR Motorsports driver Sam Mayer took the $100,000 check during NASCAR's visit to Texas Motor Speedway.

Ross Chastain, a full-time Cup Series driver, is hence ineligible to participate in the Xfinity race at Dover, which serves as the venue for the final Dash 4 Cash race. DGM Racing will announce the schedule at a later date.

Chastain has made nine starts with DGM Racing in the past couple of years, with a couple of fourth-place finishes at Indianapolis Road Course (2022) and Watkins Glen (2023), marking his best results for the team.

---

William Byron elaborates on his last lap contact with Ross Chastain

On the final lap of the Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway, William Byron and Ross Chastain were battling for second place when they made contact. Byron was classified third, while Chastain was relegated to a 32nd-place finish after colliding with barriers.

The #24 Hendrick Motorsports driver classified the collision as a final lap racing incident after the race. In a recent interview, Byron admitted that he hadn't yet discussed the incident with Chastain but expressed confidence that they would move past it.

"We haven’t spoken yet. I reached out to him, but I’m sure we’ll get connected later this week," Byron told NASCAR.com. "But nothing really changes for me, my perspective. We just came together in a spot there. He was coming down the track to try to cover my run, and I was just making the corner exit like I anticipated him being where he would be on the exit."

"It’s unfortunate, but it’s racing on the last lap, and I’m just going to do that at times probably to save that spot."

Nine rounds into the season, Ross Chastain currently sits in 11th place in the drivers' standings.