Ross Chastain wanted to make a name for himself racing against the big boys in the NASCAR Cup Series. He wasn’t afraid to put his bumper on the back of his rivals or even trade paint off each other’s doors. However, his antics of an over-aggressive style of racing against Kyle Larson and HMS drivers were becoming a regular theme.

It reached a tipping point during the Darlington race last year, where Ross Chastain wrecked Larson during a late-race restart. And while William Byron from the HMS camp brought home the win, there was an uneasy atmosphere. Veteran team owner Rick Hendrick took matters into his own hands and warned Chastain, “He’s going to make a lot of enemies, and it’s hard to win a championship when you got a lot of paybacks out there.”

Surprisingly, this year the melon man has been pretty subdued in his style of racing. We haven’t seen the shades of hail-melon or the vintage Ross Chastain, who stirred the pot up while he was on track. So what’s holding back the Trackhouse Racing driver, and did last year’s events bring about a change in his racing style?

Ross Chastain doesn’t want to become NASCAR’s villain

You know you’re in trouble when Mr. H out of all of us publicly sends out warning shots. After the Darlington crash, the veteran team owner was ready to trade blows and wasn’t going to ask his drivers to take the beating anymore. “I don’t care. I’ve told Chevrolet that. If you wreck us, you’re going to get it back.”

This is when Chastain and his team owner Justin Marks also had a chat, and surprisingly, the driver even made a call to Rick Hendrick. After the dust settled, it looked like Chastain had lost his competitive edge, and Dale Jr. inquired if the Darlington crash had anything to do with it. To which the driver of the #1 Chevy replied, “Justin and I, we had to learn through that; I was used to it, but I wasn’t to that magnitude of the 5 car, Mr. Hendrick, so yeah, it was good; it was learning.” He said this on the Dale Jr. Download.

We have seen the likes of Joey Logano and Kyle Busch painted as villains of NASCAR for a similar style of driving. And Chastain doesn’t want the fans to turn against him. “I don’t want people to not like me. I don’t want any driver or their families or anything to look at me and walk the other way, but when we’re on track, if they get mad when their helmet’s on because I kept my position because I raced them, it doesn’t bother me. It’s when I step over the line, I wreck Larson when either one of us could’ve won that race,” he added.

2024 has been a mix of him, with Chastain toning down on his aggression on the track and Trackhouse being unable to bring in speed. It certainly cost him a playoff spot, but it also led to him to make a big personal change that landed him in trouble with his sponsors.

Here’s the secret to Chastain going beardless

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NASCAR fans were shocked to see Ross Chastain’s new look. His bold and assertive character had an innocent makeover. Oddly, the timing of it was just before the start of the playoffs in Atlanta. He failed to make the playoffs without a win in the regular season, and as a result, his beard bore the brunt of his disappointment. He even took to social media to share the reason behind his big makeover, “Missed the cut and got a cut.”

Chastain confirmed this while speaking with Dale Jr.: “No, there’s not (any reason). I mean, we missed the playoffs. I don’t know. It’s like when a girl dyes her hair after a breakup.” However, his actions did land him in trouble, as his primary sponsor, Busch Light, wanted him to keep his beard throughout the year for the brand photo shoots. Now we know why Chastain isn’t being featured on social media posts by the beer brand.

“The first day I (shaved), it was a bloodbath. I had bandaids when I went in the shop that day. My guys were laughing at me…I didn’t even think about it (consequences) when I shaved. David Erickson (Chastain’s management) found out; he’s like, ‘Do you not remember the meeting with Busch Light at St. Louis and what they said?’” Chastain explained.

Despite the struggles of 2024, the melon man did get back into victory lane in the playoff race at Kansas. However, the team needs to sort out their issues before the start of the 2025 season and ensure their star driver doesn’t miss the playoffs.