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Ross Chastain hits the wall during NASCAR practice at Las Vegas, unsure of damage

JHby: Jonathan Howard10/11/25Jondean25
Ross Chastain NASCAR Las Vegas
Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

This is a wall ride that Ross Chastain didn’t want to take. The Trackhouse Racing driver got up into the fence in practice at Las Vegas. We have seen Chastain bounce back from damage in practice before. It could actually be a sign that the NASCAR driver has extra speed in his car this week.

I seem to remember Ross Chastain wrecking in practice at Charlotte for the 600 this year. He then went on to race from the rear to the win in his best performance to date in NASCAR.

So, does the incident at Vegas show that maybe the 1 team has some extra speed that Chastain didn’t expect? Let’s see what happens, and if this team can qualify, but this might end up being a good omen instead of a setback.

During his interview after the incident, Ross Chastain was unsure of the damage. The 1 team is going to get it diagnosed and figure out if they can get back on the track for qualifying.

Could we be in store for another come-from-behind win from Chastain? Is he the playoff spoiler that prevents Joey Logano from moving on to Phoenix?

Ross Chastain could use another good run. He has only had four top-10 finishes since the Coca-Cola 600. Many times, Chastain is an afterthought on the track due to a lack of speed that Trackhouse has fought all season long. Vegas has been a good track for him in the past, let’s see if he can make some late-season magic happen again.

Ross Chastain in the wall, trying to bounce back

Hitting the wall isn’t always a bad thing. Getting a fast car that is a little difficult to handle is, at times, a blessing. And when you overstep with it, that might not be a sign or a poorly handling car, but possibly a quick car than the driver anticipated.

Now, this might just be wishcasting, or as the kids say, cope. But Chastain has shown a knack for bouncing back in the past. I have a hard time counting him out of any situation. Remember, he’s the only driver to upset the Championship 4 and win the final race of the season in the win-and-in, elimination era of the NASCAR Playoffs.

Las Vegas is a track that plays into Ross Chastain’s hands. Can Trackhouse take advatange of the track, give Chastain a fast car, and execute in the race on Sunday?