Ross Chastain Joins Childhood Rival Stephen Nasse as They Deliver Massive Verdict on Hoosier’s Late Model Tire Experiments

Stephen Nasse and Ross Chastain have renewed their rivalry. The duo has raced against each other for a long time in the Pro Late Model circuit. At the recently concluded Protect Your Melon-Buckle Up Speedfest, Nasse took home a victory again. The No.51 driver edged Chastain with a 2.262-second win after gradually surging from P12 to the front row.

One of the reasons for the Crisp Motorsports Park audience witnessing a great race was Hoosier. The tire manufacturer brought out the ST1 and ST2 tire series for the Pro Late Models, which garnered praise from the grid. The front occupiers, Stephen Nasse and Ross Chastain, expressed their happiness about the same in a post-race interview with the media.

Victorious Stephen Nasse acclaims Hoosier for its work with the ST tire series

Hoosier is the world’s largest racing tire manufacturer. Last month, it launched the ST tire series at the Five Flags Speedway. One of the many qualities of the tires is that they can be utilized on various types of race tracks. The latest All-Stars Tour race was an example of the same adaptability. Admitting that Hoosier has got it right this time, Nasse commended the quality of the ST series tire. Having taken advantage of it, he conveyed his credit where it was due.

“I was definitely vocal about it when things weren’t going great. You got to be vocal when they are. Hoosier did a great job with bringing a good quality tire here that you can really hard with. I think it showed in the Pro race,“ said Stephen Nasse. “I’m running side by side like that at the top 6 or 4, whatever it was. We did that for six or seven laps. I don’t know if we could have done that with the old tire. It’d have just gotten too hot and worn out. We couldn’t have come back from it, so I think the durability and longevity of the tire is great,” the driver added.

Ross Chastain also later voiced his joy at being able to experience a race with the ST series tires. “Hoosier tires, they raced amazing. I’m glad to be among the first drivers to race them in this series,” he said.

Ross Chastain could have won on his return to late-model racing. Despite not having raced in the short-track racing scene for over a decade, it was surely a rewarding experience for the Nashville Native. Alas, it could have been even better if not for a long-time opponent on short tracks, Stephen Nasse.

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Ross Chastain cand Stephen Nasse’s rivalry goes back decades

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When Ross Chastain saw an opportunity to reignite the spark between him and Stephen Nasse, he arrived at the Crisp Motorsports Park. What followed was a simulation of the past when the pair locked horns on the most popular short tracks in America. Speaking about Nasse preventing a homecoming win for him, Ross Chastain stated,

“It’s funny that all this time later in life, Stephen and I are racing for the win. I grew up racing against him. We’ve crashed each other more times than I can count. I know he was super-fast at the beginning of the race. We got by him on that restart. When he got back to me, I couldn’t run the bottom, let alone at his pace,” Chastain said.

And as much as Chastain would’ve wanted to keep his rivalry with Nasse alive, a transition to NASCAR racing kept the Trackhouse Racing driver away from Pro Late Models. Expressing his surprise on a return after 13 years, Ross Chastain also claimed that he could have done more with the car he had.

“This Rackley W.A.R. team had about a sixth-place driver today. I have not raced any car that drove like this in my life. I raced here a long time ago, and I grew up driving Pro Late Models. They didn’t drive like these. They didn’t drive this good.“

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The outing in Cordele produced a promising result for Ross Chastain. With the Busch Light Clash closing in, he would not have hoped for a better race to warm him up for the 2024 season opener.