In the moments after Sunday’s Advent Health 400 at Kansas, tempers were flaring.
Kyle Larson, the second place finisher, had battled back from an early race spin and looked poised to avenge last year’s late race loss to Kurt Busch. That was not to be, as contact from Denny Hamlin would send the 5 car into the wall. By winning, Hamlin broke a 33 race winless streak. Larson’s crew seemed more upset at Hamlin than Larson did himself. As FOX was interviewing Larson post race, a second screen popped up showing a shouting match between Ross Chastain and Noah Gragson. The shouting would soon turn physical as Chastain connected with Gragson’s jaw after repeatedly telling him to let his firesuit go. Before Gragson could retaliate, a team member jumped in between and separated the two drivers.
As they were being separated, Chase Elliott, the sport’s most popular driver by a mile, who had just finished 7th would quip as Gragson passed by:
“Somebody’s gotta do it”
I am not one of the people who is pro-violence, but I have been saying for most of the last year: SOMEBODY HAS TO DO IT.
So many drivers over the last year and a half have had issues at one point or another with Ross. So many have threatened him with wrecking him or a physical altercation. While Gragson is no choir member (several run-ins with drivers in Xfinity), entering Sunday he was the one with the least amount of reason to do it. The two made contact at Talladega, which sent Gragson into the wall and ruining what was amounting to his best run of the season for Legacy Motor Club. After the fight, he said that he respected the people at Trackhouse too much to wreck Ross on track, but he had enough of Ross.
“I’m ready to fight him”
The laundry list of drivers mad at Chastain is long. It’s easier to list who hasn’t found themselves angry over the last year and a half. The biggest name on that list is Denny Hamlin. Several incidents between the two have happened on track, including one that got Denny penalized and fined earlier this year. Each time though, Chastain would get the better of him. Denny would say that payback would come when it needed to. When Ross made the Championship 4 last season, it came at the expense of Denny. Ironically during the victory lane celebration, Ross could be seen congratulating Denny. Has hell frozen over? I’m not convinced that the book is closed between those two.
There are times where Ross looks like a championship contender and then there are times where Ross looks like the second coming of The Intimidator. Ross is never going to be the overall fan favorite, but he has to stop apologizing for everything that doesn’t need an apology.
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