2 days agoRoss Chastain has never won at Darlington, but that does not reflect how well he has run, as he has led 134 laps at the track. Oddly, 119 of those laps led came in two races he crashed out of. More typically, Chastain qualifies poorly and gains numerous positions in the field, as he did in the 2021, 2023, and 2024 Southern 500s, when he qualified worse than 20th every single time and earned top-five finishes. Chastain's 25th-place starting position on Sunday is very commensurate with that, so the odds look good that if he doesn't crash or suffer any kind of bad luck, he's definitely one of the absolute best options to start in this race. The only real argument is that he's never made a charge like that in the spring race, but his Southern 500 performances should likely carry over to the spring race eventually.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
1 week agoRoss Chastain had an uncharacteristically quiet run at Martinsville, finishing sixth at a track that is normally not one of his best. Although the Hail Melon from 2022 will always define his Martinsville career, this was probably his best run here as he matched his best average running position from that race but had a much higher pass differential, which probably mostly explains why he had his highest career driver rating, breaking 100 for the first time in yesterday's event. After breaking in the top ten during the pit stops on the fourth caution, he spent most of the remainder of the race in the back half of the top five, getting as high as fourth without really contending. For a driver who is such a lightning rod for controversy, these are the sorts of runs he needs if he is going to return to serious championship contention.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
1 week agoTrackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain will start 17th for Martinsville Speedway's Cook Out 400 on Sunday. This will be the fourth time since 2022 that Chastain will start a Martinsville race from inside the top 20. In 12 previous cup events at the site, Chastain has seven top-20 finishes, including six straight results of 14th or better in this week's race. Through six races this season, Chastain has four finishes of 12th or better at various track types. In practice, Chastain ranked 18th in overall lap averages while displaying top-10 speeds in the 25 and 30 consecutive lap average categories, showcasing how his car is best on longer green flag runs. Based on his upside, recent Martinsville history, and 2025 performance, along with his practice speeds, Chastain is a solid driver to consider for all formats, and he works best as a pivot option to other top-priced options.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 weeks agoRoss Chastain finished second here at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2022, but other than that, his track record leaves much to be desired. In his five other starts at the 1.5-mile track, the "Melon Man" has four results of 31st or worse along with a 17th-place finish in 2021. So, the question now becomes, is his record at Homestead due to bad luck, or was that runner-up finish in 2022 a fluke? Fresh off of a top-five finish at Las Vegas last weekend, Chastain will look to keep the momentum rolling in this weekend's Straight Talk Wireless 400. The No. 1 Chevrolet will start back in 25th on Sunday, but Chastain looked faster than that in practice, ending up 15th-fastest in the session in single-lap speed. As far as playability in DraftKings, you need to have some Chastain exposure due to his Place Differential upside, but at a $9,000 salary, there are some better DFS options to roll the dice with this weekend.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
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