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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 16: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, speaks to the media during the NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500 Media Day at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 16: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, speaks to the media during the NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500 Media Day at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Ross Chastain has truly been the most polarizing figure in NASCAR this season so far. While the Trackhouse Racing driver has been incredibly fast and competitive more consistently than anyone else, he’s also been more controversial than everyone else. This was something that defending Cup champion Kyle Larson recently touched upon.
In an interview ahead of the race at Watkins Glen, the #5 driver opened up on the number of drivers whose hit list Chastain is on, but at the same time, he applauded the #1 driver for recovering his races even after going through or causing wrecks.
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“Ross has like a two-page list of guys, it seems like,” Larson said. “We’ve seen it in the past, people will make life pretty tough on you, but he’s done a really good job of even when he does get into moments where he has issues with other drivers in the race, he still recovers from it really well.”
“I feel like that can only last so long.”

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AVONDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 08: Ross Chastain, driver of the #45 CarShield Chevrolet, stands by his truck during qualifying for the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 at ISM Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
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Kyle Larson predicts a tough “cool little story” in playoffs for Ross Chastain
Kyle Larson went on to describe how he thinks Ross Chastain and other drivers looking to take their revenge on him while he hunts for the championship would be “a cool little story to follow throughout the playoffs.”
The Hendrick Motorsports driver claimed that had Chastain and his team not made so many people mad at them, they’d be “the championship favorites.”
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 06: Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, waits on the track prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Busch Light Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on February 06, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
“I know he’s had probably the fastest car most weekends and him, his team, and his pit crew have done a really good job,” he emphasized.
In the end, the defending Cup Series champion admitted that he can’t even imagine Ross Chastain going through the next stage of the season easily.
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“I can’t imagine with everyone that seems to be upset with him that it will be an easy playoff for him,” Larson added.
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