NASCAR: Ross Chastain proves Kevin Harvick wrong in a big way

By Asher Fair | Nov 9, 2018

PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 09: NASCAR driver Ross Chastain speaks with the media during a press conference prior to practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Whelen Trusted To Perform 200 at ISM Raceway on November 9, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

Ross Chastain proved Kevin Harvick wrong by landing a full-time ride with Chip Ganassi Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for the 2019 season.

Ross Chastain, who had driven for JD Motorsports, mostly behind the wheel of the #4 Chevrolet, in every NASCAR Xfinity Series race that had been contested from the start of the 2015 season through the 23rd race of the 2018 season at Road America, made his Xfinity Series debut for Chip Ganassi Racing in the 2018 season’s 24th race, the race at Darlington Raceway.

The 25-year-old Alva, Florida native qualified in his #42 Chevrolet on the pole position, his first career pole position, and he dominated the race around the four-turn, 1.366-mile (2.198-kilometer) egg-shaped Darlington Raceway oval in Darlington, South Carolina early on.

But on the 111th of the race’s 147 laps, at which point Chastain had led 90 laps, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick, a full-time Cup Series driver, tried to take the lead away from Chastain in his #98 Ford. Harvick ended up sliding up the track and making contact with Chastain, who responded by spinning Harvick out on the back straightaway.

Here is a video of this incident.

Chastain went on to finish the race in 25th place, two laps down, while Harvick was officially scored in 29th after his race ended after 111 laps.

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Here is how Harvick responded to this incident.

"“Got a really inexperienced guy in a really fast car. Made a really bad move and then wrecked me. Probably the reason that he’ll never get to drive many of them again.”"

But it was Chastain who would get the last laugh.

Chastain proceeded to dominate the next race during which he drove the #42 Chevrolet as well. He led 180 of the 200 laps of the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after starting in fifth place en route to securing his first career Xfinity Series victory. After starting in third in the next race at Richmond Raceway, his third and final race as the driver of the #42 Chevrolet this season, he finished in second.

Since then, Chastain has resumed his duties as the full-time driver of the #4 JD Motorsports Chevrolet. However, Friday’s announcement coupled with the high level of success that he had in his three races driving for Chip Ganassi Racing helped him to prove Harvick wrong in a big way.

On Friday, Chip Ganassi Racing confirmed that Chastain is set to be the full-time driver of the #42 Chevrolet in the 2019 season.

What’s that about “probably the reason that he’ll never get to drive many of them again”?

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Will Ross Chastain capitalize on the opportunity to drive full-time for Chip Ganassi Racing in the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series season? The season is scheduled to get underway on Saturday, February 16, 2019 with the Daytona 300 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, so be sure to tune in to see Chastain compete as the full-time driver of the #42 Chevrolet for the first time.

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