Ross Chastain said “to hell with optics” when he let Elliott pass

NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. has criticized Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain for “letting” Chase Elliott pass him during the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in Austin. 

The two drivers got into it on the opening lap of the race when Chastain crashed into Elliott, leading the Hendrick Motorsports driver to spin out and collide with Denny Hamlin and Connor Zilisch as a result.

Later on in the race, Chastain appeared to back off to avoid another clash with Elliott, a moment which Earnhardt Jr. described as “chickens**t” and believes it was to avoid any repercussions from the earlier incident.

Speaking on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Earnhardt shared his unfiltered reaction to the moment. 

“Ross saw the No. 9. As soon as Ross saw it, Ross was probably getting some warnings. I’m saying laps before like, ‘Hey man, the No. 9 is back there.’ So, it wasn’t like Ross looked up in the mirror and said, ‘Oh s**t, I’m pulling over.’ He was probably thinking — he had laps, of warnings and comments, to weigh his options.

“Ross says, coming out of Turn 1, ‘You know what? I’m going to let him go. To hell with optics. I don’t care what it looks like. I’d rather finish ninth, tenth or wherever I’m going to back up to, than get spun and finish 28th or 30th,’ or whatever last place was on the leap lap.

“So, Ross chose the better finishing position. He chose that, knowing the optics, because it looks a little chickens**t. Ross is like, ‘Hey, I don’t want to get spun out, because I’m going to finish last on the lead lap. I’m going to pull over and make sure I get a finish here today,’ and he didn’t care what the optics looked like. He didn’t care if it looked like he was being a wuss about it.”

Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Earnhardt also took issue with the fact that Chastain didn’t comment on it to the media following the race. He added:

“After the race, he didn’t have a comment. I think you have to comment,” Earnhardt Jr. added.

“I mean, there’s no harm in it. I guess you could say, ‘Hey man, I messed up. … Made a mistake. Lap 1, I should know better.’ He could’ve said anything, and that probably would’ve been better than a no comment. No comment is not ever the best option.”