If you watched, slightly slack-jawed, as it dawned on you what Ross Chastain had just done — for a fourth-place finish, mind you, because he had no chance at the win — because it took a moment to believe it was real, you’re not alone.
That Chastain even thought of that move, riding the wall through turns 3 and 4 at tiny, tight Martinsville Speedway as the engine screamed, let alone executed it, tells you all you need to know about how badly Chastain wants to succeed at NASCAR’s top level.
Chastain’s final lap was the fastest lap ever run in a stock car at Martinsville. It was the stuff of legends. And it was run out of pure desperation.
Chastain, whose family has been farmers for generations, was, in that moment, racing for his life.
The fans at the track loved it.
In contrast, the end of Saturday’s (Oct. 29) NASCAR Xfinity Series race was the perfect example of a driver who’s never known the hunger that Chastain displayed.
Ty Gibbs was racing for the win, and with that series championship race also on the line, the late laps featured plenty of contact. The bump-and-run was on full display. Before the final caution, Brandon Jones had used the move to pass Gibbs.
Jones, Gibbs’ teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, needed a win to advance to the title race. Gibbs was already locked in when the pair lined up on the front row for the final restart. Jones jumped into the race lead. But Gibbs, apparently upset at Jones for making contact with him, slammed into Jones’ bumper, sending him into the wall as Gibbs drove by for the win.
The fans at the track hated it. Boos and chants rained down on the young driver as he exited the car.
It wasn’t a move made by a driver who needed a win to keep his ride. He didn’t need it to keep his season alive. It was a move made by a driver who feels entitled to the win.
Gibbs has never raced a backmarker car just to race. He’s never wondered where his next ride would come from or if he’d ever have a chance to race at the highest level. He won on Saturday, but he’s never known what it’s like to really lose.
Chastain knows.
That makes him dangerous in the title hunt right now, but does it hint at something more?
Chastain hasn’t had a competitive enough Cup Series ride for long enough to know what his future holds, whether he’ll be remembered as a great driver (he’s already a good one), but his blue-collar background is an asset that’s hard to overlook.
Consider the greatest drivers…
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