In this weeks episode of Actions Detrimental, Denny Hamlin analyzed the Ross Chastain incident at Darlington, and also claimed that throwback weekend has possibly run its course.
For weeks people have been talking about how Ross Chastain seems to never get the bad end of the incidents that he is in. However, this weekend Chastain got the worst end of his incident with Kyle Larson.
That being said, Hamlin pointed out an interesting thing about Chastain. He has not won in a long time. In fact, it has been over a year since Chastain last found victory lane in spite of being the current series points leader and being in contention for multiple wins.
With this in Mind, Hamlin has a theory on why Chastain is having a hard time finding victory lane. Maybe Chastain is feeling the effects of the incidents he has gotten into with drivers because of the way he is raced on the track. Even if it is hard to see to the naked eye.
“It gets overlooked that he should be winning a lot more than he is…” Hamlin said, “…Perhaps if he was on the better side of some of the drivers he would get a break here and there, and his races would get a little less confrontational…There’s not as much give and take probably with him. ”
Look no further than yesterday at Darlington to see how drivers were not giving Chastain many breaks. Martin Truex Jr wrecked himself trying to get past Chastain for the lead at the end of stage two. Would Truex have done that with a driver like Kyle Larson or Daniel Suarez?
Larson even squeezed Chastain up towards the wall on the restart prior to the incident involving the two. Would Larson have done that if that was Truex? Probably not, but it is the final laps of the race.
It’s easy to see that Chastain is not cut many breaks by his competitors. Without those, it makes winning races that much more difficult.
DepressedNascarFan says that Chastain is going to effect his chances based on these actions on track.
Brittany was one of many who were excited to see how Hamlin reacted to Chastain’s incident.
He was in the Championship 4 last year in all fairness.
Hamlin also unleashed a more unpopular opinion towards the end of the Podcast. With the ninth throwback weekend in the rearview mirror, Hamlin believes that it may have run its’ course.
“I just feel like every paint scheme is from a different era.” Hamlin said, “I don’t even recognize half the cars. All it does is make me more confused as a driver in the race. I don’t even know who I am freaking racing against…Everyone was so bought in for the first couple of years. Even the crew guys were decked out.”
Hamlin and co-host Jared Allen both completed the thought by coming to the same conclusion. Throwback weekend had, “Lost it’s luster”. Hamlin went on to say that he is not too sure how to potentially revive it.
Admittedly, throwback weekend is not quite as big of a deal as it was back in the early years of it. I was at the third throwback weekend in 2017, and, at the track, it was an awesome event. Plus the amount of teams getting into throwback weekend is not as much as it once was.
Richard Childress Racing, who has a slew of Dale Earnhardt schemes to potentially throw back to, elected to run a spoof throwback as Kyle Busch ran the same scheme as when we won at Auto Club Speedway this season. It’s not what it once was I will not argue that.
That being said, there is still a place for it. As long as it merely remains a one-time per year type thing and enough teams still participate, I still think it is a fun thing to do. Even if it is not quite what it once was.
Dale Jarrett disagrees that throwback weekend has run its course.
Jeff Gordon still sees value in throwback weekend
Dave Moody called this throwback weekend the best yet.
That being said, Moody did have his own thought on how to improve throwback weekend.
Former Miss Sprint Cup Monica Palumbo even got into it.
Denny Hamlin always has his opinion on current NASCAR events. Is throwback weekend running its’ course? Is Ross Chastain’s enemy making keeping him from victory lane?
