Ross Chastain Refuses To Speak Against Rick Hendrick’s Lead Driver Despite Being Blatantly Used at Nashville

Joey Logano grabbed all the headlines with a win at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday. In all honesty, the outcome could have been drastically different if not for the overtime drama. Interestingly, it involved Ross Chastain, Denny Hamlin, and Rick Hendrick’s star driver.

It is no secret how Hendrick was unhappy with Chastain’s aggressive driving style last season. While the Hendrick Motorsports owner didn’t mince his words then, the Melon Man had the chance to retaliate strongly after the events in Nashville on Sunday. Surprisingly, the #1 driver preferred to stay silent.

Ross Chastain missed out on a glorious opportunity at Nashville Superspeedway

Despite two top-five and seven top-ten finishes this season, Ross Chastain has failed to impress in the 2024 campaign. While he stands 14th in the playoff standings, his position in the final 16 looks far from secured. Having said that, Chastain possessed a glorious chance to seal it with a win on Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway.

With a few laps left, the race looked all set for an interesting battle between Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain. However, a late flag resulted in overtime, changing the dynamics of the race. Interestingly, Chastain led 45 laps in Nashville on Sunday and looked in good rhythm.

It is no coincidence that the #1 driver found momentum at the 1.330-mile track. After all, Chastain registered an emphatic victory in Nashville last year. Naturally, he was expected to use the track to his help and claim his first victory of the 2024 campaign.

However, things changed when the race came to an extra-time restart at Lap 305. Instinctively, Chastain charged into Turn 1 to challenge Denny Hamlin for the lead. Behind him in third place, Kyle Larson entered behind Hamlin and drifted high into Chastain.

Unfortunately, in the process, he spun the Trackhouse Racing driver backward into the SAFER barrier. This resulted in the collision of several other Cup Series drivers as well. Eventually, Ross Chastain finished P33 in what looked like a promising race for the 31-year-old.

On a normal day, anybody in Chastain’s place would be fuming. Surprisingly, that wasn’t the case with the #1 driver. When asked after the race what happened in the incident by Fox Sports journalist Bob Pockrass, he said, “Just hung on #11’s right rear, gonna get started and was turned around backward, I didn’t see what happened.”

Interestingly, when Chastain was asked if Kyle Larson came up and got into him, the Florida-born driver denied it. While it is surprising, it makes one wonder if it had to do with Rick Hendrick’s warning to him last season. It could also be the common Chevrolet connection that forced Chastain to not react expressively. Nevertheless, it was disappointing for him.

While it is debatable why Ross Chastain acted the way he did after the race, it certainly amazed the fans.

NASCAR fans are in awe of Ross Chastain’s calm and composed reaction after the Nashville wreck

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It is no secret that a lot was made after Ross Chastain wrecked Kyle Larson multiple times last season. While Rick Hendrick took matters into his own hands to teach Chastain a lesson, it certainly created a lot of buzz. After all, the Trackhouse Racing driver has a reputation to live up to.

Having said that, with time, Chastain has not only grown in performance but also with his maturity. In fact, his calm approach after the Kyle Larson wreck in Nashville has earned the fans’ respect. In his appreciation, fans showered plenty of praise on social media.

One fan respecting Chastain’s maturity said, “Wow Ross growing up in front of us!”. Another fan spoke on similar lines when he highlighted how the #1 driver understands the part and parcel of aggressive racing. He said, “You can say a lot about the way Ross races. When someone else races him the same, he doesn’t throw a hissy fit.”

In fact, one fan did not miss a chance to use this to take a dig at Rick Hendrick for the Darlington episode. He said, “Remember when Ross did less at Darlington and Rick threw a hissy fit? Me too.” With Hendrick’s name brought into the conversation, another fan used it to explain how Kyle Larson’s approach was casual.

He said, “Ross handled it a lot better than Hendricks last year, twice a Hendricks car has cost him a top 5 finish with less than two laps remaining. I also think the problem with the win and in. Once you win you can drive recklessly at the end of races bc you’re in and points reset.”

While banter and bashing remained a common theme, one fan saw the funny side of things. He jokingly said, “Ross will handle this on the track.” In all honesty, it cannot be written off. After all, Ross Chastain’s fearless approach makes him the amazing driver he is.

Chastain might have been respectful to Rick Hendrick and his team with his post-race interview in Nashville. However, it doesn’t take away the threat he possesses on the track in the remaining seven races as he looks to freeze his place in the playoffs.