Ross Chastain’s hopes of a big day at Phoenix ended in misery with a Lap 217 wreck on Sunday, but anybody expecting postrace beef will have a long wait.
Chastain would eventually finish in 28th position as Ryan Blaney held off Christopher Bell for the win in the Straight Talk Wireless 500. But things could have been so much better had he not been wrecked by Team Penske star Joey Logano.
Logano himself ended the day with a disappointing result (31st) after showing his car had top-5 pace, his move on Chastain at a restart would have disastrous consequences for both men.
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Logano apology softens blow for Chastain
Logano himself was quick to apologize, admitting: “I didn’t mean to get Ross there on the restart. I had a run, and he kind of went down to the bottom with me, and gosh, it’s been a rough day.
“We had a good Mustang, probably a top three or four car, and it just really hurts to be here.”
Chastain has also spoken about the incident, revealing that he has a really good understanding and relationship with Logano and that he had spoken with the three-time Cup Series champion.
Chastain on Logano relationship
“I got a bad restart in my opinion. He got a run and he ran into the back bumper,” the 33-year-old Trackhouse star told NASCAR’s Steven Taranto.
“But we talked, he gave me a call. Joey and I have a good working relationship on track, we’re very alike. I’ve studied him throughout my career before I got to Cup and when I got here. And tried to be like him.
“He’s not that much older than me but has so much experience and some of the things he does behind the wheel in the Gen-6 and Gen-7 cars that I think are very productive.
“So we have a good relationship and that was just a bad deal but we’re totally good, we had a good conversation on Monday.”
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