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HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 22: Ross Chastain, driver of the #1 Kubota Chevrolet, waits on the grid during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 22, 2022 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
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HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 22: Ross Chastain, driver of the #1 Kubota Chevrolet, waits on the grid during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 22, 2022 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Ross Chastain is arguably having one of his best seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series. With a much-deserved win at Nashville Superspeedway last weekend, things are slowly but surely going his way. He now has a reputation to maintain at the Chicago Street Course on the weekend. However, his recent comments hint at a change in his style of driving.
While Chastain has done well in the ongoing campaign, he has time and again been criticized for his aggressive driving. Nevertheless, it has helped him have a very strong chance of going all the way to the championship. In fact, it only makes it interesting how he approaches the race on Sunday.
Ross Chastain Shares His Tactics Ahead of the Historic Weekend in Chicago
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It is no secret how everyone is pumped up with the prospect of a street course race in the Cup Series. While the Chicago race is expected to offer plenty, the question that remains is will the drivers adopt a different style of driving than normal? Ross Chastain certainly has a clear mindset on how he is planning to approach the game.
There is no doubt that plenty of drivers have disliked Chastain’s aggressive driving this season. In fact, he has been guilty of being involved in a wreck more often than not this season. While criticism from elsewhere hasn’t convinced him to change his approach, it looks like a change in the type of track has.
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KANSAS CITY, KANSAS – SEPTEMBER 11: Ross Chastain, driver of the #1 Advent Health Chevrolet, greets NASCAR fans during pre-ceremonies prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on September 11, 2022 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Ahead of the Chicago race, Chastain spoke to the media. When asked about the trouble spots in the track while going through the simulator, the Melon man claimed that there are precisely 12 such spots. Following this, he had a 5-word confession while using the sim. He said, “I wrecked in every corner”.
While wrecking isn’t a new phenomenon for him, Chastain realized attacking probably isn’t the best option on Sunday. He said, “I don’t attack like I did in there. I bring that down and I will be working up to it.” In fact, it is then that he declared what to expect from him. He said, “So, if you don’t see super-fast laps right off the bat from me, that is not an accident.”
That being said, the #1 driver did not write off winning the race like he did last Sunday. However, he remained clear about where his focus lies. Chastain said, “But I am not just focused on lap times and firing off, because I know the penalty and it has been my main focus this week is keeping that aggression level down in practice.”
Ross Chastain on his snapping a 42-race winless streak: “If I wanted to wreck every week, I had that figured out. I want to win. I want to wreck less and win more.” pic.twitter.com/KfF8ZKWt3l
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 26, 2023
READ MORE – Is Ross Chastain a “Championship Caliber” Driver Now? Dale Jarrett Spills the Beans
While the Trackhouse Racing driver admitted this, he also confirmed being less stressed for this weekend.
Ross Chastain Reveals Respite After a Successful Weekend at Nashville Superspeedway
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It certainly meant a lot to Ross Chastain after registering his first win of the season last weekend. More so, because of the relief it brought in making it to the playoffs. The victory has surely made things easier in Chicago as the Florida-born driver spoke on his team’s intent for the race on Sunday.
While Chastain admitted this week to be less stressful because of the Nashville win, he remained clear about what his team wants. In the press conference, he said, “It’s easy to remember last week, but not easy to remember how it was 10 weeks ago and how many points we got. We ultimately want to have the most points and that is a sign of a great team.”
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Chastain added, “We are still going to put our best foot forward to run the 100th lap as far up as we can.” With a new track and its unpredictability, it would be definitely interesting to see what he has to offer on Sunday. Will Chastain register back-to-back wins? Let us know in the comments below.
WATCH THIS STORY: 7 Worst Wrecks Involving Ross Chastain That Proved Detrimental to His Rivals