One and a half weeks ago, a conflict emerged at COTA due to Ross Chastain’s maneuvers, affecting several drivers, especially Chase Elliott. The situation could have escalated had Elliott chosen to retaliate. However, he focused on finishing strong, ultimately securing a P4-place position. While Chastain initially refrained from commenting on the incident in his post-race interview, he recently addressed the matter during his appearance on NASCAR Daily.
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It was on the first lap of the Cup Series race at the Circuit of the Americas when Ross Chastain, known for his assertive racing style, collided with Elliott, causing him to spin and diminishing his chances of securing a victory. Despite the setback, the Hendrick Motorsports driver maintained his composure in the face of adversity.
Chastain assumed full responsibility for the collision, admitting that the fault was entirely his due to a poor decision further marred by flawed execution.
He reflected, “I think I was in a really good spot till turn one at Cota. Obviously, that was a big error, big mistake on my part, and not really anything else to say other than that. It was just a bad decision and then followed through with bad execution of doing it.”
The Trackhouse Racing driver also expressed remorse over his lapse in judgment and acknowledged the necessity of accepting the consequences of his actions. However, he reassured notwithstanding this error, his performances have been reasonably competent since then.
In a post-race interview with PRN, Elliott maintained his principle of accountability, asserting his willingness to accept responsibility if the fault were his.
The 202o Cup Series champion explained that he was unexpectedly hit in the first corner and expressed a keen interest in reviewing the incident to ascertain whether he had erred in any way.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. lauds Chastain for his COTA final lap antic
Chastain finished P12 in the Cup Series race at COTA, a result of prudent decision-making in the race’s concluding laps. Aware of the scrutiny he was under, Chastain adopted a cautious approach as Elliott approached during the final stage. He yielded completely, facilitating an unhampered pass for the Hendrick Motorsports driver.
Dale Jr. commended Chastain’s willingness to prioritize a strong finish over his pride. He remarked, “It wasn’t like Ross looked up in the mirror and went pulling over… Ross says, coming out of turn one, ‘You know what? I’m gonna let him go. To hell with optics. I don’t care what it looks like, but I’d rather finish 9th, 10th, or wherever I’m going to than get turned around.”
Nonetheless, Dale Jr. laid his expectations that Chastain should have ideally offered some comment on the early race incident, particularly to elucidate his actions in the first lap and to acknowledge his missteps.
