Just four spots remain for the coveted playoff positions, and the battle is heating up. For drivers without race wins this season, mistakes are a luxury they can’t afford. Consistency and victories are keywords if one has to make it to the playoff. The goal is to race well consistently and win races. Take Ross Chastain, who was extremely comfortable going into the Pocono race, but is in a tough spot now.

Kevin Harvick, a veteran, knows how tight everything is right now. He believes Chastain might be in deep trouble after slipping in the point standings. And things surely are looking dismal for the watermelon man.

Tough spot for Ross Chastain, per Kevin Harvick!

Ross Chastain was in a comfortable space heading to Pocono. He was 12th in the standings and had a 53-point cushion that separated him from the elimination line. But the race at Pocono shuffled the lineup quite a bit, and it dropped him to #16, just above the cutline. He broke loose in turn 3 of the 53rd lap and made contact with the wall. And this just ruined his day! Kevin Harvick, in his podcast, emphasized how Chastain cannot be making such mistakes, and rightly so. Because of his mistake, he lost his assurance, and Bubba Wallace is back in the picture. 

Harvick had, in fact, pre-warned Chastain in his previous podcast that he just doesn’t seem to have that fire and he seems comfortable with his points standing. The same thing happened, hence proving that relying on points is risky. Harvick in his recent podcast said speed is one factor that is pulling Chastain down because he doesn’t have the speed needed.

Harvick said in his Happy Hour podcast, “I think Ross and his team have ground out decent finishes and put themselves in a decent position points wise they haven’t had the speed that they need to have to win races and that’s really what it comes down to if you can, you know, Suarez got himself in a position to where he won at Atlanta and was able to put himself in a position to be in the playoffs but they haven’t had the speed either.”

And Harvick also mentioned that Chastain hasn’t been performing the best. And he said that when one doesn’t have the speed to win races, one cannot afford bad finishes with it, which is, indeed, a recipe for disaster. Speed and bad finishes are not the only alarming concerns that Chastain has to look into if he needs to make it to the playoffs, because, in Daytona, everything could change—it is a wild card in NASCAR races. In Daytona, many drivers who are outside the top 16, like Kyle Busch, have a chance to win the races. He is a fierce competitor and is still looking for the win. Each race he is pushing his limits regardless of the results and who knows, someday his effort might just pay off. 

Despite the challenges, Harvick believes that Chastain should aim for victory at Daytona, as winning would secure their playoff spot and reduce stress. As for Bubba Wallace, he is back to having a chance to make it to the playoffs. 

Bubba Wallace vs. Ross Chastain

Trending

Despite 2023 Disaster, Chase Elliott Risks Angering Rick Hendrick by Choosing Alex Bowman’s HMS Banned Tactic

What Is Left of Denny Hamlin’s Depleting Core After Having to Deal With a Nearly $70 Billion Loss?

NASCAR Rumors: Corey LaJoie’s Cup Future Dependent on ‘$’ Amid Rick Ware’s Hopes of Tony Stewart’s SHR Replay

NASCAR Rumor: Handed $25,000 Fine, Xfinity Star Could Replace Chevy’s Rejected Prodigy

“To the Death”: Kyle Busch Offers Martin Truex Jr. a Rare Alliance to Survive ‘Hunger Games of NASCAR’

Bubba Wallace, going into the Pocono Raceway, had the looming effect of the massive $50000 fine over him. As such, any driver might be stuck in the after-effect. But not Bubba Wallace—because he used his frustration as fuel in Pocono. He finished 10th place, and he finds himself on the verge of getting that playoff spot—which was way out of his picture. While truly it was the misfortune of others that led to him getting this result, his performance was superb too. Ross Chastain crashing was a boon for him and now Bubba Wallace sits just a mere 27 points from Chastain. But having said that going forward both have their own strong suits. 

Ross Chastain is in 16th place in NASCAR, standing even after his 36th-place finish at Pocono. Wallace is now in 17th position in point standings and is surely closing in on Chastain. And for both these drivers, the battle will only be more intense, so that battle for the last spot might just be Chastain vs Ross Chastain throughout!

Wallace will challenge Chastain fiercely because he has certain strengths for the upcoming tracks. The Indy track has been a sound place for Wallace and it was here where he got an impressive third-place finish in 2019 with Richard Petty Motorsports. Then, at Michigan, Wallace nearly won in 2022. He would have if a late-raced caution hadn’t happened. 

Ross Chastain too has strengths, and he has shown his might with top-five in Iowa and Las Vegas this season. Plus, he has made handsome appearances in the top ten consistently this season. So from point gains itself, he can give Bubba Wallace a threat. Another competitor to Wallace is Chris Buescher. He completely owned the Cook Out 400, FireKeepers Casino 400, and Coke Zero Sugar 400 last year. With Buescher’s proficiency on the upcoming circuits, Wallace and his team have their work cut out for them. 

Given the stats, Wallace just needs to win to close the gap, and the same for Ross Chastain as a win can help ease.