For Better or Worse, Ross Chastain Heads List of NASCAR's Biggest Surprises of 2022

Before this spring, maybe two or three NASCAR fans in 10 had heard of this Florida watermelon farmer named Ross Chastain. He wasn’t as obscure as, say, Josh Bilicki, but he certainly wasn’t a household name anywhere except Alva, Fla.

But today—just past halfway on the 36-race Cup Series season—Chastain has become both famous and infamous for his unexpected eye-opening success and his on-track misbehavior. Indeed, there’s been plenty of both to keep the suddenly controversial driver on Page 1.

For that reason and that reason alone, the 29-year-old Chevrolet driver for relatively inexperienced Trackhouse Racing is the obvious choice as the surprise driver of the first half. At this point, it’d not even close.

First, the success: Chastain got the first victory of his 121-start career at Circuit Of The Americas in Austin, Tx. in April. Four weekends later, at the circuit’s most unpredictable venue, he won at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. Today, after 19 races, he stands third in points based on those two victories, plus 10 top-5s and 13 top-10. (He has more top-5s and more top-10s in 19 starts this year than in his 115 previous starts). He’s solidly in the 16-driver, 10-race championship-deciding Playoff Series that opens Sept. 4 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

Dismiss him as a championship contender at your own risk.

Nasty Reputation

But there’s this: Chastain is building an ugly reputation as a mindless, reckless, and disrespectful driver. He wrecked Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and Michael McDowell in the May race near St. Louis. He stood up to the public criticism and admitted he had to do better… then went out last weekend at Atlanta and wrecked Hamlin again, along with Austin Dillon.