Over the years, there have been very few drivers who have been as passionate as Dale Earnhardt Jr has been about NASCAR racing post-retirement. More often than not, he has wished for the betterment of the sport. However, this time around he has a similar suggestion, but it involves going against the odds. In fact, it also sees him go against his good friend, Denny Hamlin.
Over time, Junior and Hamlin have seen their friendship grow stronger. Interestingly, both of them have adopted an unfiltered approach with their insight into the sport. However, Dale Jr’s latest comments aren’t going to make the Joe Gibbs Racing driver happy one bit.
Dale Earnhardt Jr ignores Denny Hamlin’s rant following the Ross Chastain incident at Dover Motor Speedway
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All was going fine at Dover Motor Speedway until Ross Chastain took matters into his own hands. He spun Brennan Poole in Stage 1 of the race on Monday, which eventually wrecked Kyle Larson. What’s important to note here is Larson looked to have one of the best cars at Dover and had a very good chance to win the trace.
With Chastain depriving Larson of a glorious chance, it has certainly divided opinion. Despite his apology after the race, the act has certainly not gone down well in the NASCAR community. Moreover, the Trackhouse Racing driver’s habit of frequently instigating a wreck this season has become a matter of concern for many.
The incident has certainly not gone down well with Denny Hamlin, especially after the duo’s tussle at Phoenix Raceway. The 23XI Racing co-owner recently revealed his frustration at the event. However, he finds it interesting how the Florida-born always escapes from spinning or any harmful consequences despite him making the contact. Recently, Dale Earnhardt Jr also had his say on the Dover incident on his podcast “The Dale Jr Download”.
Junior explained how Chastain’s past has a big role to play in his wreck-instigating acts. He said, “I think that he [Chastain] genuinely does have remorse for what happened because he used to drive for those teams, not that specific team maybe but like he used to drive those types of cars. He used to show up and hustle it in in those back marker cars.”
Few know but the 30-year-old started his NASCAR career by competing for backmarker Truck Series teams. Dale Jr added, “And he [Chastain] knows what those teams are trying to accomplish and what they’re doing and what they’re up against.” However, what he said next was surprising to many. He said, “The other thing I got to say is I don’t want Ross to change.
“I’m not saying I love what he’s doing, I don’t love him wrecking people out and doing and making mistakes but gosh if somebody’s not doing the things that Ross is doing, God can we get a few more of those guys? Can we get some more people out there making mistakes? It’s a great race, I enjoyed the Dover race but you know that moment with Ross was very entertaining.”
While it was Junior’s perspective, it certainly won’t bode well with Hamlin. However, there is someone probably who agrees with the two-time Daytona 500 winner on Chastain’s popularity.
NASCAR Insider gets candid about the crazy impact Ross Chastain has had this season
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As Dale Jr pointed out, Chastain has made the races very entertaining with his frequency of contacts. While it is not encouraged, it surely has helped him get more popular in the public eye.
Brennan Poole on Ross Chastain at Dover … 👀 pic.twitter.com/cyj2TBODqL
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 1, 2023
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Not to forget, the #1 driver leads the Cup Series standings for the 2023 campaign. Speaking about him on The Door Bumper Clear podcast, spotter Brett Griffin said, “There’s nobody more talked about than he [Chastain] is.”
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Interestingly, Chastain has grabbed the headlines for multiple reasons so far, most of them being on the negative side. Having said that, does he have it to go all the way in the Cup Series this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.