Ross Chastain was at the center of yet another controversy during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway last Sunday. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell blamed Chastain for causing him to run into the back of William Byron’s car, which ultimately ended his race.

Despite the limited field of view drivers have from their cars, Bell criticized Chastain for going three-wide into the corner without looking at replays, further calling him a ‘Wrecking Ball’.

However, upon later inspection of the replays, Bell issued an apology to William Byron, taking the blame for spinning him out. Although Bell did not mention Chastain in his later comments.

Justin Marks Defends his #1 Driver Ross Chastain

Justin Marks, the co-owner of Trackhouse Racing, the team fielding the #1 Chevy driven by Chastain, defended his driver on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Marks criticized Bell for making a statement without looking at the replays, and said, “To run to a microphone and make a statement like that when you haven’t even looked at a replay, it’s just super lazy.”

Fans of the NASCAR Cup Series quickly took to social media to accuse Ross Chastain of several things after Christopher Bell called him out at Richmond Raceway. Justin Marks’s comment, however, propelled the debate, further causing a split among the spectators.

WATCH THIS STORY: “Wrecking Ball” Chastain adds more fuel to Kyle Busch Rivalry as he remains bitter about “Glasses” Remark Amid Christopher Bell Altercation 

Fans React to Justin Marks’s Comments

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On Reddit, a fan criticized Mark and said, “Lazy? The dude had just gotten out of the car and I doubt he ran to the microphone. Probably had it shoved in his face. He apologized when he saw the replay. I like Justin but this is a whiff of a take.”

[SiriusXM NASCAR Radio] "To run to a microphone and make a statement like that when you haven’t even looked at a replay, it’s just super lazy." @JustinMarksTH responds to post race comments that put the blame of a late race incident on @RossChastain. #NASCAR
by u/CNASFan1992 in NASCAR

While another defended Bell and said, “2-5 are required to do interviews in the pits immediately following the race. There’s no chance to look at a replay in that time frame. There’s no winning for Bell in that situation. He gives his interpretation, he turns out to be wrong; he says he needs to see a replay, people get mad that he didn’t answer; he just doesn’t do an interview, all the media present wind up mad.”

Despite not being involved in the wreck, Chastain was blamed for it due to his reputation. Taking his side, a fan said, ‘What happens when you get a reputation like his is you lose the benefit of the doubt. If he’s near something there’s going to be an assumption it’s his fault because he’s done it before. It’s one of the dangers of being over-aggressive as often as he can be.’

Although a few criticized Bell and said, ‘That’s true. Really bad look from Bell there. And here I thought he was the only Toyota driver who was likable. Not anymore. Hate to say it but I think the Denny Hamlin-Ty Gibbs toxicity is rubbing off.’

Ultimately, incidents like these remind us of the intense pressure that drivers face in every race, and the importance of looking at all the facts before casting blame.