Dale Jarrett & Kyle Petty Support “Calculated” Ross Chastain Narrative Despite Objection From Denny Hamlin

Sunday’s Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway was more than an entertainer for racing fans. With the resurgence of Trackhouse Racing‘s star driver, Ross Chastain, the 2023 season just got bigger in terms of competition. While Chastain’s run may not seem special for the unversed, for a veteran driver, Dale Jarrett, Chastain’s methodical approach was a “calculated” high-speed chess match.

Losing his aggression that earned him the notoriety for being one of the most polarizing drivers, Sunday’s Ally 400 saw a more patient and “calculated” Chastain, moving up the pack steadily, filtering through the traffic with precision and unwavering spirit. Veterans of the sport clearly knew what the #1 driver was up to while his former rival, Denny Hamlin credited the #1 team’s effort to be consistent with a top-notch race car.

Dale Jarrett and Kyle Petty Dissect Ross Chastain’s Clinical Performance at Nashville

The Florida native over the years has garnered quite a notorious reputation for his ruthless aggression, often ending others’ day in the process while ruining his own. But the recent race at Nashville saw a changed Chastain. Though his on-track stunts have made him several foes, his latest debacle involving the sport’s winningest team, Hendrick Motorsports, and their ace driver, Kyle Larson, was a perfect example of Chastain’s unnecessary aggression landing him in hot waters.

Following the incident at Darlington that mounted tremendous pressure on the driver, Chastain’s change of heart was the talk of NASCAR fans for quite some time. And surprisingly, the driver delivered a perfect answer to all the naysayers that doubted his ability with a methodical performance, earning him his first win of the season on Sunday.

With the sun down, Chastain’s predatory instincts kicked in and there was no holding him back. Even Aric Almirola who’s often seen causing Chastain trouble couldn’t block the #1 Chevy as he adapted brilliantly to the situation rather than resorting to brute force.

It was veteran NBC analyst, Kyle Petty who noticed Chastain’s new strategy to tackle the traffic while citing his closeness with Almirola, he said, “The way you approached traffic, we watched you work traffic today, you didn’t just run upon him and say, now what am I gonna do about it.”

To which Chastain responded by saying, “I took a risky move, I thought that was very high risk but it was worth the reward to get that clean air,” during the post-race interview.

While Dale Jarrett who has always been on the side of Chastain explained the precise moves, he put it in layman’s terms, “He was more patient with things realizing the good car that he had, he didn’t really ruffle out.” Citing the SHR #10 car blocking his way, Jarrett lauded the “winning move,” going into the middle and splitting the pack.

He said, “It was somewhat of a risk but I think that there was enough room to do what he wanted to do and he didn’t press the issue but he chose the opportunity that was presented and I looked at that as kind of a winning move of the race that put 3 cars between Ross and the #19 car of Martin Truex Jr at that point and so then all of a sudden Martin’s got the bad air of 3 cars that he has to deal with and Ross was able to stretch things out a little bit.”

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While the 1999 Winston Cup champ credited Chastain and concluded his take, saying, “What we saw was a calculated Ross,” his former rival dismissed it and even contrary credited the Trackhouse Racing team for their consistency. 

Denny Hamlin Breaks Down the False Narrative About Chastain as He Credits the #1 Team

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Even, dirt racing fanatic, Kenny Wallace asked, “Did we neuter Chastain?” And there’s a valid reason behind it. After his stunt with Larson at Darlington, Chastain indeed was on the back foot as more and more pressure was mounting on him, even from his own boss, Justin Marks. And surely the conversation with Rick Hendrick made it even tougher for the 30-year-old.

As the whole NASCAR nation discussed Chastain’s sudden change of heart, Hamlin is of the opinion that it was actually his team and their inadequacy that got him back and not the warning from Mr. H.

He said, “Ever since Darlington, Mr. H gave him the old better stop wrecking my cars, first thing I thought was, no Mr. Hendrick doesn’t turn the button on the old information share at the technical center on him but they came back strong.”

Hamlin furthermore added, “It was one of a dominant weekend really for the #1 car, winning the race, winning the pole, being fast in practice, and so, I think this whole narrative of them backing him down, I think that just it was circumstances whereas cars weren’t fast, you know, over the last month or so. I think he’s still very aggressive and will race the way that Ross races, which is good and successful for him.”

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Though his former rival simply dismissed the whole narrative, Chastain has certainly found his rhythm and most certainly Sunday’s race also taught him a golden lesson about patience and its virtues.