What’s Happening?

Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney were both hot under the collar on Sunday following an intense battle and an aggressive block by Blaney on Chastain. Chastain commented on the incident after the race, to which Blaney responded in quintessential Blaney fashion with a Star Wars meme. What is the whole story between Blaney and Chastain?

https://t.co/Ae3q453b3q pic.twitter.com/DOsuToCv9s

— Ryan Blaney (@Blaney) March 4, 2024

• Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney’s tiff goes back to the Season Finale in 2023. Ryan Blaney was racing for a Championship, and Ross Chastain was racing for the win.
• Chastain has made numerous enemies during his time in the Cup Series. His aggressive style has endeared him to many fans, but, it has caused run-ins with plenty of drivers. In this instance, however, it was Blaney being the aggressor.
• Fans thought Blaney used a great meme in this instance. Others are just excited to see one of the first potential rivalries in 2024 start to build.

Round 1: 2023 Championship Race at Phoenix

The first run-in featuring these two came in the Championship race at Phoenix in 2023. The two were battling for the lead, but, Blaney was in the Championship 4 while Chastain was not. The battle raged on, allowing Blaney’s title rival, Kyle Larson, to close, and Blaney eventually made contact with Chastain as a result.

B

laney was asked by the media afterward if he hit Chastain on purpose, to which Blaney responded, “(Expletive) right I hit him on purpose!…He blocked me on purpose 10 times!”

Chastain fired back by saying, “I know he’s mad, and I do not care. I did not care then. I do not care now. I am there to race him. I’m not going to wreck him.

For the full comments, check out the video below.

Fans were split on who was in the right here, and there was even some speculation that NASCAR asked Ross Chastain to stand down. This started an interesting Twitter back-and-forth between Mike Ford, Brett Griffin, and Freddie Kraft. However, the point is that Chastain and Blaney have a history.

Twitter Drama! Brett Griffin and Freddie Kraft vs NASCAR

Round 2: 2024 Las Vegas

Early on at Las Vegas, Ross Chastain and Ryan Blaney found themselves battling once again. Blaney made a very aggressive block coming off of turn two, just barely clearing Chastain. The two came together again late in the race, with Blaney passing Chastain for 3rd in the closing laps. Chastain had this to say to the media after the race.

Ross Chastain, when talking about the final 20 laps, couldn’t help himself to mention that Ryan Blaney was blocking him (remember Phoenix)? Chastain: “It was pretty cool to see his evolution with the air blocking. I was proud of him.” pic.twitter.com/5VNhjQLkpw

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 4, 2024

Ryan Blaney reacted with the Star Wars meme that we showed at the start, with the caption “Ironic”. That is where the two stand now.

Will This Continue?

Both Blaney and Chastain remembered what happened at Phoenix in the fall. Their run-ins still fit into the “No harm, no foul” territory since both drivers survived the run-ins with top-4 finishes at worst.

If the two end up getting together once again, then this rivalry could continue boiling over. Maybe Blaney was trying to send Chastain a small warning shot, essentially saying, “I’m not cutting you any slack, so, if you wreck me, there will be consequences”. It’s also possible that this could fizzle out if there are no more run-ins.

NASCAR fans should watch these two closely. If they get together, no one will give or take any quarter from the other. From there, either they race hard and clean, or, it gets dirty.