Ross Chastain Chooses Chaos, NASCAR Driver Retires Mid-Race, Gibbs Says He's Jesus, Punches Thrown, Bubba Booed
Ross Chastain chose chaos, and the NASCAR world will be forever in debt to him for it.
In the span of five seconds, Chastain became a video game-playing legend Sunday at Martinsville, putting his Chevy up against the wall on the final turn of the final lap, FLOORING IT, and passing a dozen cars to somehow advance to the championship race.
It was literally something we've all done in video games. I've done it a million times. You've done it, too.
You're about to lose, so you just gun it, ram into 18 cars, destroy the wall, do six flips and barrel across the finish line ahead of everyone else.
But this was real life, with real people, real consequences, and real money on the line.
And Ross Chastain chose CHAOS.
And I was always told video games would "rot my mind." Thanks mom and dad!
More on Ross The Boss in bit.
Along the way we'll get to Tyler Reddick retiring during the race (sort of), one driver comparing himself to Jesus Christ while getting booed into next week, and hey, we had punches in the Xfinity race!
We also had fans hating Bubba Wallace even more, and one driver tying the knot.
It's Championship Week, baby! Four tires, a splash of fuel and away we go. Monday Morning Pit-Stop is LIVE.
Ross Chastain rode the wall to stardom. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Ross Chastain becomes NASCAR legend
Gotta start with Florida's most famous Watermelon Farmer, right?
You've waited long enough. Let's just roll the damn tape.
Are you KIDDING me with that in-car camera?! I'm usually pretty hard on NASCAR for various things, but I'll be the first to admit that stuff like this completely sets them apart from other leagues.
I mean, look at that view. Ross Chastain was literally DONEZO, about to be eliminated from the playoffs, season's over, and then BAM. Our guy puts the pedal to the metal, refuses to lift and lets the wall guide him to an absolutely stunning finish.
And look at this finish! This is how close it was between Denny Hamlin and Chastain.
Ross Chastain stuck it to Denny Hamlin at Martinsville.
"I grabbed fifth gear, got up against the wall and came to the finish," Chastain said. "I took a crazy move that nobody would have ever thought. When I committed, I had no idea if it would work. With the access gate off turn four, I didn’t know if it would catch me and stop me.
"But I knew that I would try and it wasn’t going to hurt us."
Christopher Bell wins, Denny Hamlin loses, Chase Elliott the favorite
By the way ... that wasn't for the actual win, either.
While all eyes were on Chastain's rocket ship, Christopher Bell had already crossed the finish line to win his way into the championship race.
Bell grabbed the lead late from Chase Briscoe - who also needed to win - and never looked back. He'll now join Chastain, Joey Logano and Chase Elliott as the four drivers eligible to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship Sunday at Phoenix.
Elliott and Logano already have a couple 'ships in the bag, while the other two are newbies.
I'm certain Elliott will be the favorite, but he really hasn't been great over the past few weeks. Still, the No. 9 bunch seems to thrive when they need it most, and they've been here before.
I'll take Dawsonville's Finest to win championship No. 2.
As for Hamlin ... yikes. Another year, another missed opportunity to win that coveted title. And yes, at 41, time is running out.
"That is what it is. Great move. Brilliant. Certainly a great move," Hamlin said after the race. "When you have no other choice, it certainly is easy to do that. But well executed."
Tyler Reddick called it a day during the race. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Tyler Reddick retires mid-race with head injury
There was chaos at the end, and confusion in the middle Sunday at Martinsville.
And by confusion, I mean when was the last time you saw a driver retire his car in the middle of a race seemingly out of NOWHERE?
That's exactly what Tyler Reddick did Sunday, parking his No. 8 Chevy on pit road, telling his team his head hurt, and calling it a day.
Really, a wild scene. I don't know that I've ever seen that, especially with someone who wasn't involved in any sort of wreck beforehand.
Also, don't tell me Richard Childress wasn't a little annoyed by that move behind closed doors. Let's be honest, he has been done with Reddick ever since he announced this summer he was leaving RCR for 23XI Racing, and he can't get him out of that seat quick enough.
Ty Gibbs makes a bold comparison. (Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Ty Gibbs wrecks teammate, compares himself to Jesus Christ
I don't usually delve too much into Xfinity Series racing around here, but this one was too good to pass up.
If you were like the rest of America and watching college football on Saturday, you probably missed one WILD Xfinity race. There was punches thrown (more on that in a minute), teammates were punted, and Ty Gibbs ultimately got booed into next week after the race.
It's OK, though ... nothing our Lord and Savior never experienced!
Bold choice by our guy Ty here to quote scripture after stabbing your teammate in the back, but hey, you do what you can to make it through the day.
Amen!
Bubba Wallace hated even more in NASCAR return
Speaking of the boo-birds, let's go back out to Martinsville to see how fans welcomed back our buddy Bubba Wallace after his one one-race suspension.
Bubba did speak to the media before the race about his tantrum a few weeks ago, and stayed with all the usual talking points: he was humbled by it, accepts the penalty, mad at himself, talking to Kyle Larson, all is now ham and eggs.
Moving on ...
Punches thrown in NASCAR Xfinity race
Finally, on our way out ... it's been a while since we had a good, clean brawl on pit road.
Thankfully, the Xfinity boys quenched our thirst when sh*t hit the fan after Saturday's wreck-fest.
BOOOOOOOM! That's laying down the hammer, baby! Draymond Green would be proud. Enough talking, buddy. Gloves up, it's time to fight.
Yeah, um ... that'll most likely be Austin Hill's final race of 2022. But one hell of a way to go!
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. marries Madyson Joye Goodfleisch
On our way out, Part 2!
We can't leave Martinsville without congratulating our guy Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on his marriage last week to Madyson Joye Goodfleisch.
Danica Patrick's former boyfriend tied the knot Oct. 26 in Charleston, South Carolina, with over 200 folks in attendance.
Kyle Larson was one of six groomsmen, while other NASCAR drivers in the crowd included Denny Hamlin, Todd Gilliland, Harrison Burton, Riley Herbst, Myatt Snider (before getting his face bashed in) and Zane Smith.
Congrats to the happy couple!
On to Phoenix. Buckle up.