NASCAR insiders react to Ross Chastain playoff elimination, self-inflicted wounds at Charlotte

Ross Chastain’s NASCAR playoff run came to a frustrating end at Charlotte, as costly mistakes derailed what had been an impressive season. Despite showing his trademark aggression and determination behind the wheel, the Trackhouse Racing driver fell short of advancing to the Round of 8.

That left analysts like Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi to reflect on what went wrong, and how much of the blame truly falls on Chastain himself via the latest episode of The Teardown. They dissected Chastain’s elimination, offering both praise for his grit and criticism for the unforced errors that ultimately cost him a chance to move forward over Joey Logano.

“Was he going to make it to the Final Four? Probably not, unless he wins Talladega,” Gluck said. “But he was trying to carry that car on his back once again. And those mistakes, obviously, are going to haunt him. But, you know, I think honestly overall, judging by the speed they had this year, I think Chastain had a good season.”

Alas, Chastain entered the postseason as an underdog, driving a Trackhouse car that struggled at times to match the speed of other powerhouse teams. Still, his relentless approach and ability to maximize results kept him competitive deep into the playoffs, something Bianchi said deserves more credit than it’s getting.

“An MVP — like most valuable driver — Ross Chastain deserves votes,” Bianchi added. “He definitely needs to be in the running. What he did this year was so impressive — how he lifted up that team and just put it on his back. They didn’t have the best strategy, they had issues on pit road — it doesn’t matter. He figured out a way.”

On the other hand, Bianchi also argued that Chastain’s team didn’t do him many favors at Charlotte. He pointed to questionable pit strategy and execution that left the driver in difficult situations late in the race.

“To me, this wasn’t a Ross Chastain failed-to-advance situation. I don’t think the team put him in a position to advance,” Bianchi stated. “You’re leaving your driver on an island. Why? All you have to do is stay close to Logano; you’ve already got him beat on speed.”

Meanwhile, Gluck noted that while Chastain’s determination was obvious, the mistakes were still too costly in a playoff format that left him no room for error: “There was that one restart at one point where he and Logano started alongside each other, somewhat buried in the pack, and he just picked up like six or seven spots in the opening lap,” Gluck delineated.

“He was driving so hard, going where they weren’t. Both of those guys are such hard-nosed racers. But those two mistakes were really, really costly as well.”

Bianchi agreed, calling the miscues “killer” but reiterating that Chastain’s season was a testament to perseverance and raw talent: “Without one of those mistakes, you’re moving on,” he explained. “That’s on him 100%. But this is a guy who works really hard, grinds away behind the scenes, and puts in the time. It’d be interesting to see what he could do with better cars because what he’s doing right now is really impressive.

“But yeah, those mistakes were killer. You didn’t have to be perfect today. You had one mulligan, didn’t get two, and that’s on Ross.”

Even in elimination, both Gluck and Bianchi agreed that Chastain’s season was something to admire. His effort, attitude, and relentless style continue to earn respect around the garage, and if Trackhouse can give him better equipment in 2025, his ceiling might be even higher than we’ve seen.