“He’s in a Lot of S**t”—HMS Legend Drops a Bitter Reality Bomb on Ross Chastain While Snubbing His Chances of Succeeding at Ovals

Ross Chastain keeping away from controversies gives fans the jitters. Whatever the occasion, his name coming up is one of the more inevitable conditions. But surprisingly, he was not in the middle of any controversy after the All-Star Race. Even more astonishing was the fact that none of the 16 cautions in the Coca-Cola 600 were labeled his doing.

The ruthless, reckless brand of racing that Chastain is known to practice has earned admirers and detractors alike—probably more of the latter. Fellow drivers and their fans have regularly been on the heels of Chastain. The criticism has not remained limited to the grid, as a former Hendrick Motorsports legend spoke on Chastain’s presence in the division.

NASCAR legend says Ross Chastain has “got mittens on”

Taming the wild spirit of the Trackhouse Racing Team driver has often been a topic of intense debate among experts and fans. People from across the industry have contributed to this argument. Although NASCAR has not suggested a clear course of action, former drivers have had their say on the issue.

Former HMS crew chief Steve Letarte is one of the more knowledgeable voices in NASCAR. Having played an important role from 1995 to 2014, he knows his way around the circuit. Speaking on the latest episode of the Dirty Mo Dough podcast—a venture of Dale Earnhardt Jr—he said,

“I wouldn’t suggest Chastain to win a race until he wins a race at an oval. I don’t know how else to say it. He’s in a lot of s**t. He’s really, really fast. He always hit some s**t. Now, I don’t think he’s hitting so much stuff. Now he’s got mittens on, which is probably needed. “

Further addressing the need to improve his dynamics with other drivers, he added,

“I’m not saying that as a negative. He probably does need to put his mittens on a little bit and maybe, you know, calm some relationships, but the guy has won at one road course and one superspeedway. That’s factual. That’s it. Like I think he’s one that … Chop [Chopper], you’re probably going to miss the Chastain win. But I mean, you just can’t keep throwing money at him.”

It is quite a reasonable opinion if you consider someone from Letarte’s vantage point. He is primarily talking about the chances Chastain has of actually winning a race.

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Chastain has been the reason for drivers’ headache

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The Trackhouse Racing Team driver has seen his reputation change gradually since his debut in Cup Series. Initially among the good ranks for his die-hard and competitive style of racing, nowadays he is usually recalled for some untimely contact on the track.

Among more recent incidents, the most notable one would be his altercation with Noah Gragson. He punched Gragson after the race in Kansas, and the confrontation attracted a lot of criticism toward both drivers. Despite Gragson being the initial aggressor, Chastain was the one chastised by the media and fans—mainly because of his reputation and his driving style. Moreover, it was just a week after another incident in Dover.

Chastain stuck it up to Brennan Poole close to the fence, leading to the derailing of Kyle Larson’s car as well. Such incidents have also warranted some retaliation from the drivers themselves. Denny Hamlin is one of the drivers most fed-up with Chastain, as he had to pay a $50k fine and was levied a 25-point penalty after admitting to intentionally trying to wreck Chastain in Phoenix.

Chastain’s approach to racing definitely brings a much-needed, no-holes-barred element to the Cup arena. However, his fellow drivers wish that he should be aggressive, but more conservatively.

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