Ross Chastain admits winning an R-12 race isn’t a priority, says ‘the main thing there is actually to not attack’
Ross Chastain has shifted his focus to maximizing points every race instead of going all out for the win.
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Ross Chastain (Via IMAGO)
Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain had his Cup breakout season in 2022, which saw him finish as the championship runner-up behind Joey Logano. While the defending champion got eliminated, Justin Marks’ driver is still on the hunt, but unlike last year, they haven’t been consistent contenders for race wins so far this season.
While talking about the upcoming Round of 12 races, starting from Texas Motor Speedway, he pointed out that winning the race isn’t the priority for him. The watermelon says that he is more focused on securing points and getting into the next round while keeping an eye on a repeat of his Nashville race win from the regular season.
“Probably the main thing there is actually to not attack. We don’t have to win. It’s OK to just be OK, but we want to though. Like if the opportunity is there, we want to go win, but we’re not going to try to take it and attack…I tend to get in trouble when I do that, so just scrap up as many points as we can all three races. I value all three equally, just like I value the other seven in these playoffs,” Chastain said as reported by NASCAR.com.
Chastain started the season slowly before shifting the gears and consistently producing front-row finishes, but he failed to win a race this time. His much-awaited victory came during a mid-season slump he was experiencing. He started the R-15 with a P5 in Darlington but saw the final position drop in the next two races. Solid finishes in the coming three races are vital for his progression.
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Ross Chastain admits that he is now attacking less on the track
There has been a massive shift in the approach and racing style of Chastain now compared to the start of the season. He quickly gained the reputation as the most aggressive driver on the grid in the first half of 2023, following multiple run-ins with his rivals. The incidents involving Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson invited criticism.
After HMS owner Rick Hendrick urged Trackhouse co-owner Marks to have a chat with his driver over aggressive style, Chastain became more cautious about when and where to attack. He recently admitted that he now attacks less on the track and is patient, waiting for his opportunity in the race to secure top-10s.
“A lot of small moments in the car of just kind of bringing it back to what does the next lap require of me. It’s really easy to realize you’re in 18th and it’s Lap 100, and you need to get up there and get in the top 10, top five but it’s just not going to happen quickly,” Chastain said.
“So just what can I do every lap? and this track really rewards patience even though it’s really fast. Just bringing it back to what does the next corner require, and if it requires driving as hard as I can, I will. If it actually requires driving easier than I’m capable of, I’ll do that,” Chastain added.
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