Over the past 18 months, the name that has garnered a lot of attention in NASCAR circles is undoubtedly Ross Chastain. Whether it’s for his triumphant moments in victory lane or his fearless and aggressive driving style, he has grabbed constant eyeballs. This season, Chastain once again made a strong start, securing a victory at Nashville. The win propelled him into the playoffs for the second time.

As Ross Chastain anticipates the upcoming races in the Round of 16, he’s been candid about his favorite tracks and the order in which he’d prefer to race them. However, the twists and turns of NASCAR’s scheduling have thrown his hopes into disarray.

Ross Chastain finds himself in uncharted waters with NASCAR’s schedule

Despite a strong start to the season that initially had him leading the standings, Ross Chastain’s momentum seemed to falter. Some attribute the loss of steam to wrecks resulting from his aggressive driving style. However, his victory at Nashville offered a glimmer of hope for a resurgence, although he only secured one more top-10 finish before the playoffs.

Prior to the Darlington race, the #1 driver spoke with Bob Pockrass and revealed his favorite tracks. He also expressed some dissatisfaction with the schedule. He said, “If I could pick three races in NASCAR to run, my order would be Bristol, Kansas, Darlington building up to the Southern 500. We just have flip-flopped on dates.”

When asked about the reason for his preference, Chastain explained, “Just because. I’m not overly great at any of them… But, gosh, I just love making laps at them and I’ve watched more YouTube clips of races way before my time in the sport or even as a fan or even being alive — I watch more YouTube clips of Darlington races than I have any other track by far. I just genuinely enjoy watching cars go around that track.”

It’s worth noting that Chastain hasn’t won a race at any of these tracks. But during the first playoff opener race at Darlington, he managed an impressive 5th-place finish. As the playoffs progressed, Chastain’s infamous “Hail Melon” incident undoubtedly remained fresh in the minds of fans.

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Is there a plan for another Hail Melon-type incident?

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Last year, during a high-stakes playoff elimination race, Ross Chastain pulled off a move that seemed straight out of a video game. On the last lap at Martinsville, he executed a daring wide pass, even making contact with the wall. Surprisingly, this audacious move allowed him to pass five cars and secure a 4th-place finish, outpacing Denny Hamlin. The incident was shocking but undeniably effective.

When Bob Pockrass asked about the possibility of similar moves this year, Ross Chastain replied, “Nothing up these sleeves, Bob. Nothing trick. We’ll just go try to scrape up as many points as we can each round and transfer through. We can win one of these or a few of these. It’s OK to win. Somebody’s got to. No Hail Melon. Just go beat them.”

It’s important to note that NASCAR subsequently banned such maneuvers due to safety concerns. Do you think Ross Chastain will secure another race victory or championship title this year? And what is your perspective on the controversial “Hail Melon” maneuver?

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