Ross Chastain Practical on NASCAR Playoff Chances After Recent Troubles

Trackhouse Racing superstar Ross Chastain heads into Sunday’s race at the Indianapolis Oval a mere 27 points above the playoff elimination line. The last few races haven’t been his friend, resulting in two DNFs in his last three starts. With just five races left to clinch a playoff spot, there’s plenty to worry about. And Chastain is wary of the danger that awaits him.

Ahead of the return to the Brickyard, Chastain reiterated that everyone at Trackhouse Racing, including himself, works with the common goal of winning races. “This is a sport that rewards winning, so we want to get back to that,” he ruled. His bad luck began nearly a month ago in Nashville. He was ninth in the drivers’ standings heading into Music City. Three consecutive finishes outside the top 20 have now dropped him to 16th.

He indicated that he was aware of the situation, “It’s simple math. If I thought about points, I probably wouldn’t have crashed last week.” Right behind him are 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace, 27 points below him, and Chris Buescher, 17 points above him. Should a new winner emerge in the next five races, the battle will move to Buescher’s level, who currently sits in 15th place.

The last time Chastain won a race was at the 2023 season finale in Phoenix. He also has yet to win at any of the tracks that close out the regular season. With the odds stacked against him, he has qualified to start in 28th place in the upcoming Brickyard 400. His best finish in the three times he has competed in the event is 17th.

Chastain’s crew chief isn’t ready to take extreme risks yet

Kevin Harvick recently offered a solution to Chastain’s situation on his podcast, saying the driver should race hard for the win, ignoring the chance of another crash. But the crew chief of the No. 1 team, Phil Surgen, doesn’t see it that way. He told NASCAR:As we approach the end of the regular season, the amount of risk we take for a win will likely change depending on where we are relative to the cars we’re racing.”

But it’s really going to be situational. We’re not just going to throw a Hail Mary party next week, just like that.” The urgency to take big risks may not be there right now, but it could be in a few weeks. But it should also be noted that the chief is logical, because another crash at this point in the season would all but end Chastain’s hopes of qualifying for the playoffs.