Denny Hamlin offered a candid assessment of Ross Chastain’s pit road mistakes at Charlotte, highlighting how those errors affected Chastain’s playoff hopes. The discussion around Ross Chastain pit road mistakes intensified after two key penalties derailed his performance and jeopardized his advancement opportunity.
Pit Road Misjudgment Costs Chastain Early in Race
During the opening stage at the Charlotte race, Ross Chastain faced trouble when he failed to make the crucial 90-degree turn off pit road after a stop. This hesitation resulted in Chastain falling back by 15 positions. Although the moment looked like a clear miscue, Denny Hamlin clarified,
“I don’t think the first one was a mental mistake,”
Denny Hamlin, Driver and Podcaster. Hamlin elaborated that Chastain’s aggressive attempt to maximize his position put him in a tough spot, and maneuvering at pit road speed with limited space led to his misjudgment.
“I think he was trying to maximize pit road to its nth degree, and then he thought he was going to be able to turn after that. But running pit road speed, there’s not enough room. There’s a wall right there. So, you have to slow down to make that 90-degree left. He’s just trying to get every spot he can, and he realized as soon as he hit the brakes and tried to turn left, it wasn’t turning. That’s why he went straight.”
— Denny Hamlin, Driver and Podcaster.
Despite this mistake, Chastain managed to recover, climbing back into contention as the race progressed. His efforts kept his playoff ambitions alive, at least temporarily, as he pushed hard to retain a spot in the next playoff round.
Second Penalty Seals Chastain’s Fate
The turning point arrived with just 23 laps left, when Chastain was penalized for speeding during his final pit stop. Forced to serve a drive-through penalty, his chances at advancing faded. Hamlin pointed out that,
“he was already caught at that point,”
Denny Hamlin, Driver and Podcaster. This time, Hamlin attributed the error to a lapse in concentration, noting it as a mental mistake—a sentiment Chastain himself acknowledged following the event.
As the race neared its conclusion, Chastain briefly appeared ahead of Joey Logano, seemingly advantaged for the final Round of 8 playoff spot. However, Hamlin overtook Chastain, which allowed Logano to slip ahead and claim the pivotal position at the finish. In a last-ditch move, Chastain collided with Hamlin in an attempt to regain ground, only to spin and cross the finish line in reverse, securing a 21st-place result—one spot behind Logano.
Chastain Reacts to Disastrous Finish
Reflecting post-race, Chastain was visibly disappointed in his performance, stating,
“I would restart the whole day,”
Ross Chastain, Driver. He continued,
“Our Busch Light Chevy, Trackhouse Racing, they expect so much more out of me. It’s heartbreaking for almost 200 employees at Trackhouse, all of our teammates, ECR Engines; everyone that makes this go around. Justin [Marks, team owner] hired me to carry this 1 car to drive it and be a leader, and I completely unraveled our day. Completely unacceptable.”
— Ross Chastain, Driver.
Chastain’s costly errors not only impacted his own championship run but dealt a blow to his entire team, including owner Justin Marks and the many employees supporting Trackhouse Racing. The fallout from these mistakes may extend beyond a single race, affecting playoff dynamics and team morale as NASCAR moves forward.
