RPW Column: Despite Finishing Runner-Up Monday At Dover, Chastain Takes Responsibility For Troubles

Column By: MARTY CZEKALA / RPW – DOVER, DE – Ross Chastain led 98 laps to a second-place finish Monday at Dover Motor Speedway.

But it wasn’t a race without contact.

The driver of the No. 1 rear-ended a lapped car in Brennan Poole, spinning him up the track and into the path of Kyle Larson with nowhere to go.

Both drivers were not happy in the aftermath.

“Just completely my fault,” Chastain said. “Was actually gonna follow Brennan and pass the No. 3 there, and he just checked up quicker than I thought. I’ll go find him and Rick [Ware, owner] and make some of that right.”

“[Ross] probably needs to get his butt whooped,” Poole told FS1 after being released from the infield care center. “It seems to be something Ross [Chastain] does a lot recently. Just uncalled for.”

“My car was super good,” Larson said. “The lappers were two wide in front of us, and seemed like Ross got in a hurry. I don’t know if he was frustrated with the 15 or made a mistake, but I was committed to the top. Nowhere for me to go.”

It got interesting late in the race, though. While racing for the lead in lapped traffic, Chastain was blocked by Kyle Larson, losing him valuable time to eventual winner Martin Truex Jr. Chastain was able to regain the ground before a late race caution.

“Take it for whatever you think it might be,” Larson told FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass. “A long frustrating day for me where I get caught up for something that’s not my fault.”

Chastain declined to comment on the record, but radio chatter aired someone on the No. 1 team saying, “That wasn’t good.”

Under the final caution, Chastain was the first off to take four tires, restarting in fourth. He was fast in the final laps, but not enough to catch Truex.

“I just needed a few more laps to turn,” Chastain said. “We freed it up, but not quite enough. Incredible to be out here racing in the Cup Series, and we’re sustaining ourselves here.”

The runner-up finish for Chastain was good to take the points lead by three points over Christopher Bell.