Ross Chastain expressed regret over his bold move on the final lap of the Daytona 500, which resulted in him spinning through the field. As he approached Turn 4, Chastain had an opportunity to overtake leader William Byron on the outside lane. However, Byron moved to defend his position, prompting Chastain to abruptly change direction. Unfortunately, this caused a collision with Austin Cindric, who was being hit by Corey LaJoie from the opposite side. The incident led to a caution flag and ultimately ended the race. Despite the outcome, Byron was declared the winner, while Chastain was evaluated and released from the infield care center.
Chastain admitted that he had initially intended to move towards the middle, as Byron shifted towards the top to block his advance. However, he also wanted to avoid rear-ending Byron, which led him to make the split-second decision to change lanes. Reflecting on his actions, Chastain stated that he had no regrets about his aggressive move. He acknowledged that he had witnessed Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski attempt a similar maneuver during their duel, but were unable to stop in time. Chastain took a calculated risk and seized the opportunity to make a move for victory on the final lap of the Daytona 500. Although he acknowledged that his move may have been too aggressive, he emphasized that he was determined to take the chance to win the race.
Despite the disappointment of not finishing the race, Chastain found solace in his performance. He expressed satisfaction with his ability to master the fuel-saving strategy and match the skills of his competitors. Chastain recognized that he had previously struggled with fuel consumption in recent races, but his team’s efforts allowed him to position himself for the lead after the final round of pit stops. He also highlighted the opportunity to work alongside legendary figures in the sport and control the race in its closing stages. Chastain acknowledged that the logical choice was to stick to the top lane, but he still believed that he had a chance even when the third lane split up. Despite the outcome, Chastain felt content with his team’s performance and acknowledged that they had executed their strategy flawlessly, except for his own moment of over-aggression.
Chastain further admitted that his crash was a result of his own aggressive driving. He took responsibility for the collision that involved Austin Cindric and potentially other drivers. Despite his disappointment, Chastain expressed happiness for William Byron, Chevrolet, and General Motors on their victory. He took pride in the fact that his team had successfully controlled the race during green flag pit cycles and had a strong presence of Chevrolet cars towards the end. Chastain also mentioned Alex Bowman’s assistance in pushing him towards the finish line, which further solidified his belief that a Chevrolet victory was highly likely. However, he acknowledged that his own aggression had ultimately cost him the chance to finish the race.
According to the Source racer.com