Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez has provided some insight into Ross Chastain’s last-lap move at Martinsville Speedway. He said that his teammate has to “be a little crazy” to pull off slamming into the wall and riding around the outside.
Suarez made the comments during the October 31 episode of “NASCAR Race Hub.” Analyst Larry McReynolds talked about how Chastain’s move shoots up into the top five all-time while joining those made in the past by some of the sport’s legends. Suarez then provided thoughts from a driver’s perspective.
“It was definitely one of the craziest things,” Suarez said about Chastain’s move. “Because for me, in reality, the crazy part is not to do it, it’s to think about it. That’s, to me, the crazy part.
“… It takes two things — and you guys know what I’m talking about — to be able to do it. But to think about it, to think about that as an option, you have to be a little wild.”
Other Drivers Had Questions About Rule Changes
GettyRoss Chastain’s strategy has turned heads on social media.
There was no shortage of reactions on October 30 after Chastain slammed the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro into the wall and crashed his way to a championship four berth. Kyle Larson called it “an embarrassment for the sport” while some other competitors called it “really cool” or “brilliant.”
💭 “It was a move that was within the bounds of the rulebook.”
#NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell told #TMDNASCAR that the video game move @RossChastain pulled was perfectly legal and that they “don’t think it’s right to adjust the rules” with one race left in 2022.
Joey Logano and some others praised the move, but they also expressed a hope that NASCAR will implement a rule to prevent it in the future. The sanctioning body has since weighed in and shut down the notion that there will be any changes in the immediate future.
“At this point in looking at it, it was a move within the bounds of the rule book,” said NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell during a November 1 appearance on SiriusXM. “And [we] really don’t think it’s right to adjust the rules when for 35 points races we’ve been one way and throw a wrinkle in it for the 36th.”
O’Donnell also noted that there have been several attempts during NASCAR’s 75-year history. None of them were successful until Chastain pulled it off at Martinsville Speedway. He added that there have been several in-house discussions about the move, as well as considerable feedback from other drivers.
“It’s all over the board, it always is,” O’Donnell said. “At the end of the day, we recognize we’re the government. It’s our job to make the call. It’s not liked. If you make half the folks happy and half angry, you’ve usually hit the right tone with whatever call.”
America’s Crew Chief Does Not Want Any Changes
In the aftermath of @RossChastain‘s move yesterday, numerous drivers called for a rule to be enacted to deter it from happening in the future.
@LarryMac28 couldn’t disagree more. He’s all for what Chastain did.
🔥 “Shame on #NASCAR if they are even considering making a rule.”
There have been debates about Chastain’s move and whether it should be legal in the future. There have been outspoken voices on each side. Larry McReynolds, in particular, made his case on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
America’s Crew Chief made the comments during the October 31 episode of “On Track.” He said “shame on NASCAR” if they even consider coming up with a rule that prohibits using the wall as Chastain did. He also pointed out why he was supportive of what the Trackhouse Racing driver did.
“What happened [on Sunday], regardless if it worked or not, is pushing the sport forward,” McReynolds said. “That could only happen in NASCAR. It couldn’t happen… it might could happen at the local Saturday night short-track race, but it couldn’t happen in any [other] form of motorsports.
“Everybody — hardcore, casual, maybe tune in once in a while — are talking about it this morning. That kid, he didn’t shortcut the track. He didn’t wreck nobody. He didn’t bring a caution out. He destroyed his race car, but that shows passion.”
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Daniel Suarez Weighs in on Ross Chastain’s ‘Crazy’ Martinsville Move