The NASCAR playoffs began last week at Darlington, with Kyle Larson booking a place for the next round with a solid win. With Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick’s good weekends cut short due to unfortunate circumstances, NASCAR analyst Steve Letarte feels Bubba Wallace and Ross Chastain are the two drivers who could be potential wildcard bets for the next few races.
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Wallace recovered from an incident at the end of stage 1 with Joey Logano to recover and finish the race in the 7th position, while Chastain came home 5th at a track where earlier in the season, he was involved in an untoward incident with Kyle Larson.
Steve Letarte believes Bubba Wallace exceeded expectations at Darlington
Speaking on NASCAR Motor Mouths, Letarte spoke highly about Bubba after an impressive playoff debut, saying most did not expect the #23 driver to recover as well as he did after the incident with Logano.
“…Bubba Wallace who I know is still one point out but I thought this #23 team was going to come in on absolute fumes. The emotions of making the playoffs can be draining, it was super emotional for Bubba Wallace. He wrecks at the end of Stage 1 with Joey Logano and I’m like there it is, wheels are coming off. Anything but.”
Letarte did say that even though Wallace’s team is still in the red zone, cutting the deficit from -8 to -1 after the race was just what the team would have wanted.
“They are still outside looking in but they have kept themselves in the battle.”
Ross Chastain learned his lesson from Darlington from earlier in the season
Apart from Wallace, the former Hendrick crew chief also hailed Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain’s performance. Chastain, who was involved in an extremely high-profile incident with Kyle Larson at the same track in May, put in a stunning performance for a top-5 finish.
“He told me at media day that he learned a lot from the first Darlington. He wrecked with Larson and he was just trying too hard. He hit the wall early with a winning car and he couldn’t accept that it wasn’t a winning car and that’s why he overdrove. And he said that’s what I learned, that’s what I’m gonna do different.”
“Bravo Ross Chastain. Easy to say, hard to do. Loses a lap early, gets his lap back, does not have the car he wants for half of a grueling 500 mile race, yet finishes and gains points.
This evolution in their driving styles and mentality, Letarte noted, was why he feels Bubba Wallace and Ross Chastain could prove to be dangerous moving ahead in the playoffs.
