“On the track, it's questionable sometimes” - Ross Chastain makes honest admission on his racing style in NASCAR

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NASCAR Cup Series Advent Health 400 - Practice
Ross Chastain, driver of the #1 AdventHealth Chevrolet, waits on the grid during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Advent Health 400 at Kansas Speedway on May 06, 2023 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Ross Chastain is known for his aggressive driving style on the track. Since the driver appears to be leaning toward a less disastrous approach to taming the stock vehicle, he confessed his driving technique to Fox reporter Bob Pockrass.

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With two wins, ten top-5s, and 14 top-10s, the Florida native savored a good time in the 2023 season, settling at ninth in the standings. However, his footing into the current season is on a lackluster note. Chastain led the season-opener Daytona 500 and was inches from bagging the 'Great American Race' victory, but to no avail.

The Trackhouse Racing driver became infamous after his video game move during the 2022 Xfinity 500 at the Martinsville Speedway. On the final lap, Chastain dragged his #1 Chevy through the outside wall, finishing ahead of Denny Hamlin and locking a place in Championship 4, robbing the latter of the same.

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Furthermore, in 2023, Ross Chastain's role in three of Kyle Larson's collisions caused team owner Rick Hendrick to criticize his aggressive racing style. During the Texas race, Chastain was pushed by the #24 Chevy driver for allegedly blocking him, which drew attention toward the former's driving style yet again.

Before kicking off his wrecked outing at Texas, the Florida native admitted his aggressive racing style, weighing in on his approach to be a different driver. The interviewer discussed Chastain's lack of controversial moments on the track so far this year and asked him if this was because he improved his relationship with the drivers.

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Chastain replied (via Fox Sports):

"No, no better relationships. I mean, I don't go out of my way to do anything. I'm not mean to anybody off the track. On the track, it's questionable sometimes. But, no, nothing different. I learn.
"I'm not the same person I was last year, the year before or even at Daytona this year. I'm continuing to learn this stuff and be the best NASCAR Cup Series driver I can be. Nothing changed drastically."
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Ross Chastain uncovers the "wild" aspect ahead of his 200th Cup Series start

Before Ross Chastain ventured into the highest form of stock car racing, the Cup Series, he ran at the Truck Series level for six years, after debuting in 2011 for Turn One Racing. In 2017, he stepped into the Cup Series, fielding the high-octane car for Premium Motorsports.

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The 31-year-old has 194 Cup Series appearances to date, with four victories and a high result of second place in the driver standings in 2022. The #1 Chevy driver is set to begin his 200th Cup Series run in the NASCAR All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro Speedway if he competes in all his stints until May.

As he inches closer to a historical feat, Ross Chastain reminisced upon his entry into NASCAR and his progress into the sport, as he told Bob Pockrass:

"That's Wild! It started with one. It was one start, like I had raced asphalt, limited late models, crate late models in South Florida. We just wanted to do basically what it would cost us to run the whole season, we wanted to go do one NASCAR Truck race. One turned to four more, turned to a season with Bobby Dotter and we just kept it going somehow."

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

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Edited by Aniket Rai
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