From being a humble watermelon farmer to being one of the most polarising figures in NASCAR, Ross Chastain’s journey to the top of Stock Car racing is simply a real-world fairytale story. While the Trackhouse Racing star has toned down his aggressive style, racing with composure now, he is still the guy who pulled off the infamous “Hail Melon” maneuver last year in Martinsville.
And he proved just that when he bested the 2023 Cup Series champion, Ryan Blaney in the season-ending finale in Phoenix, beating him to the 2nd spot while he racked up his 2nd win, finishing the season as the 9th ranked driver. The final race, much like the races leading to it, had drama in plenty with Chastain throwing in an aggressive block to halt the advance of Ryan Blaney and Blaney flipping him the bird.
In an exclusive interactive session with EssentiallySports, Billy Venturini – the founder and co-owner of Venturini Motorsports – the former stock car driver weighed in on his thoughts on the Blaney-Chastain fiasco, giving us a clear-cut perspective, backing the #1 driver.
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Ross Chastain winning is okay, says Billy Venturini during ES Exclusive interaction
Got an insatiable thirst for race information? Well, you are in the right place. In our exclusive interview with ARCA team owner and former driver, Billy Venturini revealed his take on the drama in Phoenix between the #12 Ford and #1 Chevy.
The 47-year-old went on to speak his mind, sharing his take on Blaney’s perspective. He said, “I do believe that the guys that are racing for the championship need to be treated differently in the championship moments. I totally agree with that but if Ryan(Blaney) was in risk of losing 2nd place to one of his competitors which he really wasn’t I would’ve understood him where he had been mad but seen he wasn’t, well then Ryan probably needs to run around, finish second and be happy as the 2023 champion. That’s what I would take out of that and I think Ross (Chastain) winning is okay.”
Venturini who was also an accomplished driver back in the day, then dived in even deeper, saying that if Blaney was in fact in a pressure situation, Chastain should move out of the way. However, with the field not going that route, he feels like there’s nothing wrong with the way Chastain raced.
WATCH THIS STORY: Ross Chastain makes NASCAR history in Phoenix after 9 years
He then added, “Ross brings out the worst in people, he does always. I mean he’s the kind of guy that you wouldn’t mind racing for, but probably hate racing against him. If you had a car and wanted him to be your driver, you can understand why. If you’re racing against him probably the one you just don’t like. And there’s guys like that throughout every series.”
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Venturini draws a Grant Enfinger, Ryan Newman parallel to prove his point
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Now, Chastain may not be everyone’s favorite but he sure can drive a race car. That is basically the point Venturini made when he took the example of Grant Enfinger from Truck Series to prove his point. He said, “I think Grant Enfinger in the Truck Series is that way. If I owned a truck I root for him to drive for me but racing against him you’re like, oh c’mon, he’s just that guy.”
“You know Ryan Newman was that guy for years, like you’re like, just like, oh please, anything other than him, to race this guy. But you’d hire him in a heartbeat so, you’re talking on both sides, you know,” added the co-owner.
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With a new perspective in the Chastain-Blaney drama, there’s no saying, for sure, who’s right and who’s wrong! What do you guys think? Do let us know your thoughts about our exclusive with the ARCA team owner in the comments below.
