9th on the standings, Trackhouse Racing star, Ross Chastain is treading on thin ice here. From “the wrecking ball” he once was to the docile #1 driver he is now, Ross Chastain‘s change of heart was a massive heel turn, one that the community never saw coming.

Despite having just 3 wins under his name, the 7th generation watermelon farmer has captivated the fanbase with his balls-to-the-walls attitude and his assertive racing style. However, as the playoff extravaganza reaches the gates of Texas Motor Speedway, zooming past the eliminator in Bristol, the 30-year-old has lost his way ever since his fallout with Kyle Larson in Darlington earlier this Spring.

Recently, Chastain dropped an aching cold admission that reveals his mindset after Rick Hendrick delivered a stiff one to the driver on behalf of Kyle Larson.

Did Rick Hendrick really cripple Ross Chastain after his Darlington fallout?

If one is to deeply speculate on this matter, the answer can go both ways. Even from his Truck Series days, Chastain’s never-say-die attitude and his super aggressive style of racing have got him a number of fans. Above all, the driver had a taste for riling up controversy and captivating the community.

From his fistfight with the rookie, Noah Gragson to his 3-episode shoving match with HMS’ Kyle Larson, to ruffling the feathers of every driver he comes across, Chastain was the “wrecking ball” until Darlington. The driver and his rival, Larson, got into another bloodbath at the track after which HMS’ boss man Mr. H himself got down to business to put an end to Chastain’s unstoppable wrecking machine.

Hendrick phoned the driver, a conversation that is still unknown to this day. Chastain also faced the heat from his own boss, Justin Marks, and GM for his feud with a fellow Chevy. And ever since that, Chastain’s insatiable thirst has subsided. His obsession with winning and his chase for success has gone down considerably. One look at his last 3 playoff races and this is pretty evident. Though he got a respectable 5th place finish at Texas Motor Speedway, the driver could add only 50 points from his 13th and 23rd finishes at Kansas and Bristol.

A couple of weeks earlier, the driver admitted his change of heart, saying as quoted by NASCAR.com, “Probably the main thing there is actually to not attack. We don’t have to win, it’s OK to just be OK but we want to though. Like if the opportunity is there, we want to go win but we’re not going to try to take it and attack,” something nobody ever thought would hear from the “Watermelon Man”.

WATCH THIS STORY: Ross Chastain makes a confident statement about his NASCAR grid position 

While his stint with Larson might have brought down the #1 car’s momentum, Chastain seems to have learned a valuable lesson, prompting him to drop a cold admission. According to NASCAR, he said, “I tend to get in trouble when I do that so just scrap up as many points as we can all three races. I value all three equally just like I value the other seven in these playoffs.”

The Texas starting grid and Chastain’s primary sponsor’s decision

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All eyes are on Ross Chastain as the playoff bandwagon reaches the Speedway in Texas, his sponsor, WWEX’s home turf. The Dallas-based $4 billion company has been Trackhouse Racing’s primary sponsor since last year and they have confirmed that they will continue to support the team in 2024 as well.

The logistics giant that handles the team’s logistics will be part of the Chevy camp for a third season as Mike Grayson confirms. According to Racing America, the Executive Vice President of WWEX group said, “We are really looking forward to our third year with Trackhouse Racing as we continue to deepen our commitment to the motorsports community.” 

READ MORE: Last Seasons Runners Up Ross Chastain in a Sticky Position at the Home of His $4 Billion Sponsor

As for Sunday’s starting grid, the #1 driver has qualified with a decent pace of 28.769 to start from the 5th position. His fellow drivers are all behind him, including the 2-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch who will start 7th, closely followed by his Trackhouse Racing teammate, Daniel Suarez at 8th.