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FORT WORTH, TX – SEPTEMBER 24: Chase Elliott (#9 Hendrick Motorsports NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet) looks on during Saturday morning practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 race on September 24, 2022 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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FORT WORTH, TX – SEPTEMBER 24: Chase Elliott (#9 Hendrick Motorsports NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet) looks on during Saturday morning practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 race on September 24, 2022 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Last weekend at the Phoenix Raceway, Joey Logano won the race and the title. However, the action unfolded behind him, between his championship rivals. To be precise, there was an incident between Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain, where the latter spun out the former. In light of this, NASCAR spotter Freddie Kraft explained why Chastain took the gamble.
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He said, “The way I looked at it was, we talked about it on here. Restarts are the only chance to pass anybody. If you’re not aggressive on a restart and you’re just like, ‘Nah, I’m gonna let him come down on me’. Now you’re stuck behind him the rest of that run. I think that we put a lot of emphasis, me and Bubba, me and Landon. Just make whatever forward momentum that you can take. If you’re stuck behind somebody, you’re gonna kick yourself. That’s at every race track, not just Phoenix. I just feel like, you’re fighting for every inch, especially if its a guy you’re racing for the championship.”
READ MORE: “This Might Be Insider Trading” – Ryan Blaney & Team Penske Insider Has Bad News for Chase Elliott
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Ross Chastain had everything to lose when he did that move on Elliott
Kraft did have a point because the overall race was a dreadful bore. There were hardly any overtakes and Logano was largely untroubled in the lead, aside from restarts. No one else could catch him, so Chastain decided to throw caution to the wind for one of the restarts.
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HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 22: Ross Chastain, driver of the #1 Kubota Chevrolet, waits on the grid during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 22, 2022 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
So he snuck down the inside of the #9 car, but Elliott was already closing the door. As a result, the Hendrick Motorsports driver ended up spinning off the track and derailing his championship chances. As for the rest of the race, it honestly looked like everyone was in their own separate races and a Sunday afternoon drive. In the end, Ross Chastain finished the race in 3rd place, with Christopher Bell in 10th and Elliott down in 28th.
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WATCH THIS STORY: 5 Times Ty Gibbs Gave Ross Chastain A Run For His Money As He Made Enemies
