These bracket-busters are throwing a wrench into the plans of the NASCAR Cup title combatants, stealing valuable points and race wins. Chris Buescher did it first at Watkins Glen, and now Ross Chastain, who has been a constant presence at the front since just missing out on being a part of the 2024 title fight. Chastain ran inside the top-five for the majority of the playoff opener at Atlanta and nearly pushed teammate Daniel Suarez to win there. He then earned pole position and led half the race at Watkins Glen before Buescher bested Shane van Gisbergen with a dramatic last-lap pass.
Chastain had actually scored more points than every driver besides Alex Bowman in the Round of 16 before opening up the Round of 12 with this impressive victory, smashing a watermelon for the fifth time in his NASCAR Cup career. His win denied the remaining title contenders safe passage into the next round and all will now have to face Talladega with caution and uncertainty.
This isn't new territory either. Chastian has played the role of spoiler in NASCAR's championship fight before, and in a very big way. After falling out of contention in the Round of 12 last year, he did something no driver had done in ten years of the current format -- he took the fight to the Championship 4 drivers in the title-decider and ran off with the race win.
And at Kansas, he denied fellow Chevy driver and title hopeful William Byron the victory, a fact that is not lost on Chastain.
"Well, it's tough because in the moment I'm looking in the rearview camera, and I see the 24 [Byron] and 48 [Alex Bowman]. I see the 24 most notably. William is a guy that I want to see win. I want to see him succeed. He is one of the few guys that I can say I'm buddies with, and we are kind of aligned in life. Although we come from different backgrounds, we kind of came to the central point, and we get along more than I get along with most people
"Would I have loved to see the 24 drive into victory lane and lock himself into the round of 8? Sure, but not enough to pass the 1 car because I'm driving it," said Chastain. "It was everything that I could do to stay in front of him, and there was times where he would gain on me."
Always the disruptor
When Chastain took on the title contenders in last year's finale, he drew the ire of Ryan Blaney who put the bumper to him mid-race and coming in irate over the radio. It still worked out for Blaney, finishing second and becoming a NASCAR Cup champion. On the final restart of that Phoenix finale, Chastain had to snatch the lead from another title contender and fellow Chevrolet driver Kyle Larson.
"I was hoping I could get clear of Denny [Hamlin] and get the lead and then have Ross protect for me, behind me," said Larson after that race. But the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet didn't hesitate to pass him either. Sunday at Kansas, he and Trackhouse once again lived up to their moniker as the disruptors of the NASCAR garage.
"So, yeah, spoiler," continued Chastain. "I'm watching, and I'm seeing my Chevy teammates, the people that I work with during the week. We do DIL simulations, like our simulator sessions in the simulators together with [Hendrick Motorsports], with [Richard Childress Racing], and Trackhouse. I want them to succeed. I want the 99 [Suarez] to succeed. I wish the 99 -- I wish that Daniel was the one winning, but not at the expense of the 1 car and not at the expense of me."
Chastain's opinion hasn't changed much since last year, based on his reaction to Blaney's frustration after winning Phoenix in November, 2023: "I know he's mad, and I do not care."
"If I have a chance to win, I'm going to win"
Suarez leaves Kansas below the cut-line, 14 points out. At Talladega, manufacturer loyalty will be everything and you will surely see Chastain playing defense for Suarez, similar to Atlanta last round. But even still, would he throw away the chance at victory should the opportunity present itself?
"At the end of the day would I truly give up the win?" wondered Chastain before quickly answering his own question: "I would not. I don't care (if) it could lock them into anything. If I have a chance to win, I'm going to win."
Team orders are frowned upon in most forms of motorsport, but it is borderline taboo in NASCAR. The sanctioning body even put in a very gray 100% rule a few years back, which essentially states that all drivers must do whatever they can at all times to get the highest-finishing position possible and/or win. However, it's rarely been enforced.
For example, Blaney played blocker for Team Penske teammate Joey Logano at Phoenix in 2022, helping him to win the title (over Chastain) instead of going for the win himself. In that same year, NASCAR penalized Cole Custer and Stewart-Haas Racing for slowing down on the final lap at the Charlotte ROVAL to help teammate Chase Briscoe advance into the Round of 8.
Going into Kansas, Chastain noted that "Daniel and I worked closer together this week than we probably ever have." With Suarez now in a perilous playoff spot, you can certainly expect Chastain to play the supportive teammate role over the next weeks, but he's made it clear that if he is within reach of another checkered flag, he won't hesitate to reach out and grab it.
