Ross Chastain Wrecked Out at Nashville but Arguably Had Best Run of the Season
5 months agoAlthough Ross Chastain spent most of yesterday's Ally 400 towards the back of the top twenty, his crew chief, Phil Surgen, made a brilliant strategy call to take two tires on the lap 220 caution, placing him in front of all the faster cars who took four tires. Most of the other drivers who stayed out or took two tires were slower than Chastain, while leader Ryan Blaney had worn tires and needed to save fuel, effectively making Chastain's charge to the lead a fait accompli. However, Denny Hamlin eventually ran Chastain down and took the lead with seven laps left in regulation. Chastain held Hamlin off longer than expected considering his speed deficit, but Chastain's hopes at defending his 2023 Nashville victory were dashed when Kyle Larson wrecked him on the first overtime restart. Regardless, it was another solid performance in a strong season that's flying under the radar.
Source: Racing Reference
Source: Racing Reference