Ross Chastain Hopeful Heading Into Playoffs Despite Uncertainty

Credit: Debbie Ross for Skirts and Scuffs 

Ross Chastain is one of four NASCAR Cup Series drivers who will compete in the Playoffs for the first time in their careers. Chastain is seeded third in the standings behind leader Chase Elliott and Joey Logano. 

Chastain earned two victories during the regular season that gave him a chance at the 2022 series championship, but those triumphs didn’t come without controversy or sacrifice. 

Chastain was involved in incidents with numerous drivers including Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott. 

So how far will Chastain advance inside the Playoffs? Will he be one of the four left standing in Phoenix? 

For Chastain, it’s a waiting game. 

“I don’t think that question is ready to be answered," Chastain said. “There are times this year where we did a really good job, and there are times this year where I did a really bad job behind the wheel. It’s about finding the middle ground. 

 

“I don’t have a number of races we’ll go and how far we’ll go in this run," he said. “But I wouldn’t want to be in any other position than where I’m at. It’s a great time to be in a Chevrolet and a great time to be at Trackhouse. It feels good."

How long it stays that way for Chastain depends on if and when drivers that he’s upset throughout the year gift him with their own “racing deals” that could benefit them by pushing him out of contention. 

Chastain, however, isn’t worried about what they’re saying. And even if he was, his iPhone storage is a little too full for him to see such displeasures. 

“I don’t actually keep up with what people are saying," Chastain said. “And then on track, I know who’s around me, and I know, obviously, every situation and every scenario that’s happened this year, so you can tell right away if a car is driven aggressively toward me or not. 

 

“Off-track, I probably don’t do a good enough job keeping up with the words being said.

 

“I’ve had a lot of opinions given to me and a lot of advice, and I truly believe it’s all with the right intentions," Chastain continued. “But honestly, my iPhone is out of storage space and can’t take any more. I’m kind of that way too. There’s a lot that just kind of goes in one ear and out the other, for better or worse."