Both Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson have become fan favorites, but lately, they’ve been getting a bit rough on the tracks—especially in their New Hampshire and Nashville fiascos. Their on-track battles haven’t gone unnoticed, with both retired drivers and current competitors weighing in on their tussles. And it’s not just the two of them who have been caught up in the drama.

Ross Chastain, unfortunately, felt the impact of their rivalry during the Nashville race. On a restart at Lap 305, Chastain charged into Turn 1 from the outside, challenging Denny Hamlin for the lead. Meanwhile, Kyle Larson, running third and trying to get past Hamlin, clipped the apron, drifted up, and collided with Chastain. Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet spun backward into the SAFER barrier and was then hit by Ty Gibbs and Kyle Busch.

With Chastain being the defending winner and getting taken out like this, he stepped forward to share his side of the story. In an interview uploaded by Bob Pockrass, Ross Chastain was asked about how he feels about getting mixed up in the rivalry between Larson and Hamlin. The host asked Chastian, “Speaking of last week, did you feel like you got  in the mix of Larson vs. Hamlin?”

After a brief moment of thought, Ross Chastain answered, “Looking back, yeah I was the unintended.. just a side-effect.” NASCAR is an extremely dangerous sport where one does not need to make a mistake to suffer being around other cars. More often than not, it’s just one car causing a collision that chain reactions into multiple cars getting wrecked.

The rivalry between Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin has become more apparent this season. Now it’s not about just them feeling the heat of each other. Many other drivers need to be extra careful not to get in the mix

Despite their friendship off the track, they are fierce competitors on the track. Larson acknowledges this dynamic but has stated that it’s just part of racing. Recently, their “reckless” driving has been a topic of discussion; however, after what happened in Nashville, Ross Chastain explains what he believes is the hardest part of competing in the NASCAR Chicago race.

P22? Ross Chastain’s favorite spot at the Chicago Street Course

Last year, when Ross Chastain took part in the Chicago Street race, he finished P22. Chastain described the track as “outright scary” due to the inefficiency of simulators and spotters in providing adequate preparation. He had a notable incident where he hit the wall at a 90-degree turn during practice.

Coming to this year’s Chicago Street Race, Mother Nature once again intervened, and as a result, what NASCAR saw was a great show of skill and resilience. Talking of the ones who started at the pole, Kyle Larson and Ty Gibbs (the grandson of three-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Joe Gibbs), were nowhere to be seen when the race came to an end. Rather, it was Alex Bowman, who took the chequered and fixed his spot in the playoffs.

But what an irony for Chastain that he once again finished P22. Wait, did he see that coming?

Stating his concerns around the circuit before the race, he said, “I know NASCAR will try to make it the most similar but still, it’s another level of unknown.” Chastain then added, “It was a concrete canyon feeling and the walls were really close to the left and right of the racing line. Looking forward to getting another shot and seeing if I can do better.”

For Chastain, scoring a win today was really important if he wanted to get into the playoffs. Considering the incident that led to his retiring from the race last weekend, this week was a good opportunity for him. That being said, do you think that Ross Chastain will even secure a place in the playoffs this season? Drop into the comments to let us know your opinion.