The ‘Ross Chastain’ seen last season has been notably subdued this year. It appears that Rick Hendrick’s stern reprimand has resonated deeply with Chastain, making him cautious about ruffling feathers with major teams like Hendrick Motorsports and their drivers like Kyle Larson.
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Last season’s clash at Darlington Raceway was a big turning point for him. In that race, Larson’s bid for victory was dashed when he and Chastain collided, only six laps before the race’s conclusion. The incident wasn’t the first one though—it marked the third instance in four races where Chastain’s maneuvers prematurely ended Larson’s race, following earlier events at Talladega and Dover.
Reacting to these repeated clashes, Hendrick issued a stark warning to the #1 driver: “If you wreck us, you’re going to get it back… He doesn’t have to be that aggressive… He’s going to make a lot of enemies. It’s hard to win a championship when you’ve got a lot of paybacks out there.”
Since then, Chastain has recalibrated his approach. Though he remains a fierce competitor, his aggressiveness has been tempered compared to last year’s audacious displays.
Chastain’s former landlord, Dale Earnhardt Jr., recently inquired if he had a conversation with Kyle Larson, aimed at mending fences following their on-track incidents. Chastain confirmed the exchange, noting, “We definitely had a conversation. That’s I mean crashed a couple of his cars. going to reach out. And I called him. I had to ask for his number.”
He went on to reflect on the impact of their dialogue, “Was it as big of a deal after that? No, I don’t think so. Justin and I, we had to learn through that. I was used to it, but I wasn’t to that magnitude of the #5 car and Mr. Hendrick. So, Yeah, it was good. It was learning.”
Everyone remembers when Ross and Larson tangled for the lead at Darlington last year – but what happened after? 📲 pic.twitter.com/1uYNakluoN
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) October 30, 2024
Chastain reasons the shift in his attitude since last year
In 2023, Chastain secured his playoff berth with a victory at Nashville Superspeedway, propelling him into a post-season run that ended in the Round of 12. He capped the year with a win at Phoenix Raceway, securing ninth place in the final standings.
But, in 2024, despite 35 starts, he didn’t win a single race during the regular season, though he did take the checkered flag at Watkins Glen during the playoffs. This year, he seems to have dialed back his aggression, aiming to maintain cleaner races.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently expressed a hope that Chastain wouldn’t shed his aggressive edge completely, to which Chastain responded, “I don’t want people to not like me. I don’t want any driver, their families, or anything to like look at me and walk the other way.”
“But on the track, if they get mad when their helmets are on, because I kept my position because I raced them, it doesn’t bother me at all.”
Yet, Chastain acknowledged the fine line he must walk, adding that driving slower isn’t the solution either and he can’t simply hang back. The Trackhouse Racing driver knows that he’d lose his spot in the #1 car if he did that.
