<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="14187501" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="daniel-suarez" source="Orion">Daniel Suarez</keyword> made history at Sonoma as the first Mexican to win a <keyword id="12137401" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nascar" source="Orion">NASCAR</keyword> Cup Series race.</li><li>His journey to the top of NASCAR was a tough one.</li></ul>Daniel Suarez finally achieved one of his biggest dreams with his first career NASCAR Cup Series win, a result made all the sweeter by the incredible journey it took to get there. When Suarez first came to the United States in 2011, at age 19, not only was he an outsider in the sport, but he didn't speak English and had to learn a new culture. He was also so broke that he could not afford English classes, so he turned to American cartoons and movies.Suarez made history in the recent Sonoma race, becoming the first driver from Mexico and just the fifth foreign-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race. The win came in his sixth season, his 195th race, and his second year with <keyword id="14282647" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="trackhouse-racing" source="Orion">Trackhouse Racing</keyword>, co-owned by Pitbull. After the race, Suarez talked about his journey to the top of NASCAR, including the unique way he had to learn English."I was always dreaming about winning in the Cup Series," I knew it was going to be a tough journey. At the time I was scared not to be able to compete because I didn't speak English. At the time I didn't have money to buy myself classes to speak English, so I had to, in a way, learn by myself by watching movies and watching cartoons and reading. It was quite a journey."<a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2178058242516191">In a 2018 interview</a>, Suarez explained that he picked cartoons and movies for specific reasons. He noted that cartoon characters speak slower and more clearly and that he could put the subtitles on during movies. Suarez went on to explain that the language barrier was the thing that worried him the most."I remember one day waking up and being scared that the language barrier was going to keep me away from my goal, which was being a winner, a championship winner in the NASCAR Cup Series," Suarez said. "I didn't want that to happen. I start working extremely hard to learn English. It's been quite a journey."Suarez's ability to "fit in" with the NASCAR community has been successful as he is one of the most liked drivers. Immediately after crossing the finish line first in Sonoma, most of the other drivers pulled up alongside his car to wave congratulations, with several looking as excited as if they had won.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—NASCAR (@NASCAR) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1536718986318069762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2022</a></blockquote>But that doesn't mean Suarez has shied away from his Mexican roots. He is famous in the NASCAR community for greeting everybody with an emphatic "Amigo!" <a href="https://www.insider.com/daniel-suarez-first-mexican-to-win-nascar-race-taco-piata-2022-6">He also celebrated his first win with a Mexican flag and a taco piñata</a> — <a href="https://www.insider.com/pitbull-daniel-suarez-nascar-win-taco-pinata-2022-6">something he later repeated with Pitbull</a>.He even donned a sombrero during introductions before the season's first race.<div type="image" title="Daniel Suarez" height="1667" width="2500" msid="92442209" hostid="261" sizebytes="156222"></div>Suarez also noted that his challenging journey is not unique, but despite the struggles, he has made it look easy and hopes he can inspire others."That's why I felt like my story is very similar to many, many Mexicans, Latinos, out there coming to this country, trying to find a goal or trying to find their dream," Suarez said, later adding: "Hopefully, the success that we have had, that we're having, can fuel them as well to continue to push in whatever they want to do, that is racing, mechanic, engineering, business, whatever that may be, to continue to fuel them to know that they can do it. They just have to work hard and put in the table what they have to do."If I was able to make it happen, everyone out there can make it happen. So just feel very, very proud to be an example for many of them."

NASCAR's first Mexican race-winner was so broke when he first came to the US he had to watch cartoons to learn English

<ul class="summary-list"><li>NASCAR shared video of Daniel Suárez racing past cars to get to Alex Bowman after COTA race.</li><li>Suárez even pushed his own teammate, Ross Chastain, out of the way.</li></ul>Alex Bowman found out after NASCAR's race at COTA that Daniel Suárez is capable of anger, despite his reputation in the garage as one of the nicest drivers in the sport.After the race ended, with Tyler Reddick taking the checkered flag, a video shared by NASCAR shows Suárez speeding past seven cars on the cool-down lap. At one point, Suárez, who everybody typically greets as "Amigo!" even shoved his own Trackhouse Racing teammate, Ross Chastain, out of the way. It turns out Suárez really wanted Bowman to know that he was not happy about contact between the pair before the race ended. Once Suárez caught up with Bowman, he rear-ended him three times.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PLu8TBW3Vvo" frameborder="0"></iframe>Bowman said after the race that Suarez didn't realize the contact between the pair during the race was caused by a third driver. Bowman described it as a typical misunderstanding on road courses where chain reactions are common."Daniel and I, we've been teammates in the past, raced together a long time," Bowman said. "I respect the hell out of him. I'm sure he's still not super happy. Just tried to explain that I wouldn't race him like that, that I was shoved in there. You see that a lot at these road courses.... Sometimes just it's a chain reaction. Fortunately, it worked out for us, ended up with a top five."It is not clear what penalty Suárez might face. Typically nobody cares when one driver bumps another out of anger, but this type of contact on pit road is a big no-no.Last year, <a href="https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2022/09/27/nascar-fines-ty-gibbs-75000-for-pit-road-incident-at-texas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NASCAR fined Ty Gibbs $75,000 and docked him 25 points</a> for intentionally ramming Ty Dillon on pit road. The contact <a href="https://www.insider.com/nascar-wreck-teenagers-ty-gibbs-brad-keselowski-2022-9">forced Dillon's car to nearly hit NASCAR officials and pit crew members</a> working on the broken car of Chris Buescher.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Nick Bromberg (@NickBromberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1574189111128297472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2022</a></blockquote>The contact between Suárez and Bowman was in the less-crowded entrance to pit road, but at least one NASCAR official was standing nearby.

One of NASCAR's nicest drivers appeared to speed past 7 cars to intentionally rear-end a rival on pit road after the race ended

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Kimi Raikkonen is returning to <keyword id="12137401" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nascar" source="Orion">NASCAR</keyword> for one race with <keyword id="14039740" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pitbull" source="Orion">Pitbull</keyword>'s Trackhouse Racing.</li><li>Raikkonen will make his Cup Series debut at the Watkins Glen road course. </li></ul>The Iceman is back, and this time he will take the wheel of a stock car in the NASCAR Cup Series.Former <keyword id="11953260" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="formula-one" source="Orion">Formula One</keyword> champion Kimi Raikkonen has signed on for one race with Pitbull's Trackhouse Racing. The 42-year-old Finnish driver will make his Cup Series debut at the Watkins Glen road course in August. Raikkonen previously ran single races in 2011 in the Nationwide Series and the Truck Series, the second- and third-tiers of NASCAR.Raikkonen, who won the 2007 championship with Ferrari, spent 19 seasons in <keyword id="11953261" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="f1" source="Orion">F1</keyword> with 21 wins and 103 podiums. He retired from F1 after the 2021 season with Alfa Romeo. He will drive the new No. 91 car as part of Trackhouse's Project91, an initiative designed to bring more international drivers to NASCAR, especially from F1 and MotoGP.<div type="image" title="Pitbull" height="1667" width="2500" msid="91819929" hostid="261"></div>Pitbull's co-owner, former driver Justin Marks, flew to Switzerland to convince Raikkonen to come out of retirement."I wasn't looking to race again, but Justin came to my home in Switzerland and convinced me how serious he was about putting together a top-notch program," said Raikkonen during the team's announcement. "This will be fun, but it's something I will take very seriously. I know how competitive the NASCAR Cup Series is, and it will be a big challenge."Raikkonen said in 2014 that he hoped someday to return to NASCAR."I hope one day [to come back]," <a href="https://theathletic.com/news/kimi-raikkonen-f1-nascar-watkins-glen/Sw2GfwM54re3/">Raikkonen told Jeff Gluck of The Athletic</a>. "Obviously, I didn't know how it is, so when I came to US to do that, I was very pleasantly surprised by how nice and how fun it was. It's not easy, like any popular sport, but I really enjoyed the time. Hopefully, I can do more of those and hopefully, in the future, some Sprint Cup."Marks noted that Raikkonen is the perfect blend of talent and popularity to kick off Project91."Kimi Raikkonen is the driver I first had in mind when we created Project91," Marks said. "Kimi is a world-renowned driver with a tremendous amount of talent and fan following. We have had long discussions, and like us, he is already hard at work preparing for Watkins Glen."Trackhouse has two full-time cars in the NASCAR Cup Series, including No. 1 with Ross Chastain and No. 99 with Daniel Suarez, the only full-time NASCAR driver from Mexico.

Pitbull's NASCAR team signs former F1 champion Kimi Raikkonen for road race

<ul class="summary-list"><li>NASCAR received a boost of energy from this year's playoffs, which have been anything but boring.</li><li>Ross Chastain's video-game move that saved his season was just the latest huge moment.</li></ul>While the NASCAR playoffs may not crown the best driver of the year, nobody can accuse them of being boring, especially this year.The latest example came on Sunday in the season's penultimate race to decide which four drivers would compete for the championship in Phoenix this week.Facing elimination, <a href="https://www.insider.com/nascar-video-game-move-ross-chastain-martinsville-playoffs-2022-10">Trackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain needed to pass at least two cars on the final half-lap</a> to stay alive in the playoffs. He did that — and more — when he floored it and used the wall to slingshot past five cars and into the championship.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1586834658028703744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></blockquote>While Chastain's "video-game move" was the most notable <a href="https://www.insider.com/nascar-playoffs-ross-chastains-video-game-move-larry-mac-2022-11">and controversial</a> moment of the playoffs yet, it was just the most recent of many.Earlier in the playoffs, <a href="https://www.insider.com/nascar-f1-penalties-sergio-perez-denny-hamlin-william-byron-2022-10">NASCAR found itself in a huge mess with two playoff drivers when William Byron spun Denny Hamlin during a caution</a>.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1574197397873623040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2022</a></blockquote>The move cost Hamlin valuable playoff points — it was Hamlin, who was eliminated from the championship by four points thanks to Chastain's wild ride — and also briefly moved Byron into the elimination zone when he was docked 25 points after the race for the move. <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nascar-appeals-panel-overturns-william-byrons-25-point-penalty-for-spinning-denny-hamlin-211709520.html#:~:text=To%20make%20up%20for%20missing,25%20points%20and%20fined%20%2450%2C000.">NASCAR later gave the points back to Byron</a> after his appeal of the penalty. That moved him back up and in front of two other drivers, who briefly thought they were closer to advancing to the Final Four. Controversy also struck in the first round of the playoffs when <a href="https://www.insider.com/nascar-playoffs-chase-briscoe-advance-cole-custer-round-of-8-2022-10">Chase Briscoe advanced to the Round of 8 thanks to some help from a teammate</a> who appeared to intentionally slow down in front of other cars to help Briscoe pass. That move eliminated defending champion Kyle Larson from the playoffs.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1579223602486194176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2022</a></blockquote>NASCAR fined the teammate, Cole Custer, $100,000 and suspended his crew chief for impacting the race's outcome. However, they stopped short of dropping Briscoe from the playoffs and re-inserting Larson, claiming that <a href="https://www.insider.com/nascar-playoffs-chase-briscoe-advance-cole-custer-round-of-8-2022-10">the move did not impact the playoff standings</a>.And those were just the most notable moments among playoff drivers. We also saw <a href="https://www.insider.com/joey-logano-bubba-wallace-kyle-larson-wreck-suspension-2022-10">Bubba Wallace elevate his status to Public Enemy No. 1 in NASCAR</a> by intentionally wrecking Larson. Wallace was suspended and lustily booed in his return. We also saw <a href="https://www.insider.com/nascar-martin-truex-kyle-larson-pit-road-spin-wreck-2022-10">two near-disasters on pit road in the playoffs</a>. The first came when Ty Gibbs lost his cool and nearly pushed Chris Buescher into a group of crew members working on a car. Later, Martin Truex Jr almost missed his pit stall thanks to the sun in his eyes and was spun by Larson, nearly taking out his crew members who got back across the wall just in the nick of time.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1584297872635228160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2022</a></blockquote><h2>Not everybody likes the playoffs</h2>But while the playoffs have been entertaining, some in the NASCAR world miss the old format, which simply gave the championship to the driver who earned the most points throughout the season.<a href="https://www.dirtymomedia.com/">According to Dirty Mo Media's "Door Bumper Clear,"</a> NASCAR veteran Hamlin, considered the best active driver yet to win a championship, said he would rather reach 60 wins than a title. The show quoted Hamlin as saying he values the wins more and the championship less than he had "because of the way they crown the champion." Hamlin, 41, has 48 career wins, and 12 more would move him into the top 10. NASCAR spotter and show host TJ Majors poo-pooed the statement a bit, noting that Hamlin will "value the hell out of it" if he ever does win a championship. However, he also noted that the trophy's lure has changed."It's hard to argue with him," Majors said. "The championship doesn't have the same luster it once had, when it was a season-long battle. Last year's champion was decided by a pit stop.... Winning 60 races — you talk about winning three Daytona 500s — I feel like that is more prestigious. I'd rather have 60 wins than, 'Oh, I won a race off pit road.'"The pit stop Majors referenced is the final one of the championship race in 2021, when Kyle Larson's pit crew pulled off their fastest stop of the season, jumping him from fourth to first with 24 laps to go. Larson held on to win the race and the title.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L2dkVeOPCrM" frameborder="0"></iframe><h2>F1 is proof that a season-long title can be anti-climatic</h2>The obvious comparison is Formula One, where the drivers' championship is awarded on total points from the season. While that is a better way to crown the "best" driver, it is not a flawless system, as this year's series has shown.Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen clinched his second-straight championship with nearly 20% of the season remaining (four races). His record-setting 14 wins show he deserved to win the title, but it also took a lot of energy out of the season's final races.Of course, a season-long title can still be dramatic, as we saw last year, when Verstappen won the championship by passing Lewis Hamilton on the season's final lap. But in a non-playoff world, that is the exception and not the norm. So, are motorsports better with a playoff format? There is no right or wrong answer. But ultimately, maybe soccer does it best where they have multiple trophies, including season-long championships and separate playoff-like tournaments. In the meantime, no matter who wins the NASCAR championship, the playoffs this year have been entertaining, and that is good for the sport.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Alanis King (@alanisnking) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1587538159503564805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2022</a></blockquote>

Some drivers don't like the NASCAR playoff format, but this year's races have been an awesome mix of drama, controversy, and chaos

Pitbull was the Grand Marshal for the Daytona 500, and he gave a very Pitbull start to the race

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Noah Gragson confronted Ross Chastain after the pair got tangled up on the track.</li><li>A fight broke out when Gragson grabbed Chastain.</li></ul>NASCAR's thrilling race at Kansas Speedway, which saw Denny Hamlin pass Kyle Larson on the final lap for the win, was overshadowed by the fireworks between two drivers shortly after.NASCAR rookie Noah Gragson's day ended early when he lost control of his car and wrecked. The spin came just two laps after Ross Chastain got close to Gragson and forced him up into the wall.After the race, Gragson confronted Chastain, who <a href="https://www.insider.com/nascar-kyle-busch-ross-chastain-richmond-race-2022-8">has been at the center of many on-track incidents</a>. A fight broke out after Gragson grabbed Chastain, who responded by punching Gragson before the drivers were separated. After the fight, Gragson said he was encouraged by other drivers to go after Chastain and felt like it was time somebody did.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Cork Gaines, Ph.D. (@CorkGaines) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1655347515963633664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2023</a></blockquote>"Nobody confronts the guy," <a href="https://www.autosport.com/nascar/news/chastain-gragson-explain-nascar-pitlane-punch-up-in-kansas/10466943/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gragson told the Motor Racing Network</a>. "I went down there and grabbed him. I'm sick and tired of it. The guy just runs into everyone. When you got guys like Chase Elliott, other guys telling you to go beat his ass ... Everyone's sick and tired of him, but nobody goes up and gets him. I'm tired of it."Meanwhile, Chastain hinted that he punched Gragson because of something somebody on the team told him. "He came down and grabbed a hold of me," <a href="https://www.autosport.com/nascar/news/chastain-gragson-explain-nascar-pitlane-punch-up-in-kansas/10466943/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chastain told the media</a>. "A very big man once told me we have a no-push policy here at Trackhouse."<h2>No matter where Ross Chastain goes, trouble always seems close behind</h2>Chastain has had several run-ins with other drivers, including two-time champion Kyle Busch, who <a href="https://www.insider.com/nascar-kyle-busch-ross-chastain-richmond-race-2022-8">turned Chastain into a verb following one race in 2022</a>."We got Chastain'd this week," <a href="https://www.insider.com/nascar-kyle-busch-ross-chastain-richmond-race-2022-8">Busch told Fox after the Richmond race</a>. "We were his victim this week."But Chastain's most famous sparring partner has been Hamlin. After being wrecked several times by Chastain, <a href="https://www.insider.com/nascar-pocono-denny-hamlin-ross-chastain-rivalry-2022-7" rel="">Hamlin got a bit of revenge near the end of the 2022 Pocono race</a> as the two drivers battled for the lead. However, NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has defended Chastain in hte past.Junior spoke during the 2022 season about how <a href="https://www.insider.com/dale-earnahardt-jr-nascar-podcasts-dirty-mo-media-2022-7" rel="">he angered Martin Truex, Jr.</a> after an incident with Chastain. After Chastain caused Truex to wreck on the final lap in Dover, Earnhardt, friends with both drivers, <a href="https://www.sportscasting.com/dale-earnhardt-jr-offers-take-martin-truex-jr-ross-chastain-last-lap-dover/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">defended Chastain and his "throwback" driving style</a>, saying the sport needs drivers like him.

Somebody finally confronted NASCAR's biggest villain and it didn't go well

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="14187501" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="daniel-suarez" source="Orion">Daniel Suarez</keyword> made history at Sonoma as the first Mexican to win a <keyword id="12137401" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nascar" source="Orion">NASCAR</keyword> Cup Series race.</li><li>Trackhouse Racing and owner <keyword id="14039740" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pitbull" source="Orion">Pitbull</keyword> celebrated with a taco piñata filled with cash and candy.</li></ul>Trackhouse Racing has been one of the surprise teams of the NASCAR season, and co-owner Pitbull got in on the celebrating their latest win.Daniel Suarez made history at Sonoma becoming the first driver from Mexico to win a NASCAR Cup Series race. After the race, <a href="https://www.insider.com/daniel-suarez-first-mexican-to-win-nascar-race-taco-piata-2022-6">he punched open a taco piñata that he had been saving for his first victory</a>.On Tuesday, Pitbull joined the team to celebrate. The fiesta included Pitbull throwing another taco piñata at Suarez, who destroyed it with a bat. But this piñata also had cash inside.¡Dale!<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Daniel Suárez (@Daniel_SuarezG) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1539383986283286529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2022</a></blockquote>During the first <keyword id="11991995" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="celebration" source="Orion">celebration</keyword> after the race, Suarez had to punch the piñata because they couldn't find the baseball bat.<iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/0pnehf" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe>Trackhouse Racing is in just its second season with co-owners Pitbull and former driver Justin Marks. Suarez's win was the team's third in 16 races this season, joining teammate Ross Chastain's two wins.Chastain's wins have him locked into one of the 16 playoff spots with 10 races remaining in the regular season. Suarez is not guaranteed a spot yet, but his win will likely mean two playoff cars for Trackhouse.

Pitbull celebrated his NASCAR team's latest win with a taco piñata filled with cash and candy

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ross Chastain found himself in the middle of controversy again, wrecking Kyle Larson in Darlington.</li><li>Larson had just praised Chastain's controversial style days earlier.</li></ul>When controversy happens in NASCAR, Ross Chastain is seemingly never too far away.Chastain found himself in the middle of it again this weekend when he and Kyle Larson wrecked in the final laps at the Darlington race as the two drivers battled for the lead.Just a few laps after Larson had pushed Chastain up into the wall, he returned the favor on a restart, shoving the former champion up to the wall. It did not work well for Chastain as he lost control of his car and spun in front of Larson, costing both drivers a shot at the win.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1657878195218128896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2023</a></blockquote>While this is seemingly a weekly occurrence for Chastain — <a href="https://www.insider.com/ross-chastain-noah-gragson-fight-nascar-kansas-2023-5">he got into a fistfight with Noah Gragson just one week ago</a> — this one has a bitter twist as it came just days after Larson had praised Chastain and his controversial style.In Larson's most recent episode of his "High Limit Room with Kyle Larson and Brad Sweet" podcast, Larson spoke about <a href="https://www.insider.com/ross-chastain-noah-gragson-fight-nascar-kansas-2023-5">Chastain's fight with Gragson</a>."I kinda love it," Larson said. "I think Ross is great. At this point, I think he is sort of like owning it. And I think he's got the potential to be more popular than Chase Elliott. So I think it's awesome. He's moving the needle."<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1656706580933640193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2023</a></blockquote>To put Chastain in Elliott's company is a bold statement, as the 2020 champion and son of also-popular Bill Elliott has regularly been <a href="https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2022/12/01/chase-elliott-wins-fifth-straight-most-popular-driver-award/#:~:text=For%20the%20fifth%20year%20in,in%20the%20NASCAR%20Cup%20Series." target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted NASCAR's most popular driver</a>. Larson's comments have a similar tone to those of <a href="https://www.insider.com/dale-earnhardt-jr-defends-ross-chastain-nascar-noah-gragson-2023-5">NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr, who said the sport needs more drivers like Chastain</a>."Ross is that I-don't-care-I'm-not-here-to-make-friends guy that we need in the sport," Earnhardt said on his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=762&amp;v=_nkAWCpT0vk&amp;embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportscasting.com%2F&amp;source_ve_path=MzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMzY4NDIsMjg2NjY&amp;feature=emb_logo" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">"Dale Jr Download" podcast</a>. "Boy, have we lacked some of that. Ross is a guy that's come in, and he's out there racing like he's not getting a check. Every spot he's racing for is worth food on the table. Bit of a throwback in the way drives, in my opinion. He doesn't give an inch, and we need a lot of guys out there like that. The more, the better."Larson's comments are unsurprising as he is one of NASCAR's friendliest drivers and typically steers clear of controversy. However, his boss, legendary owner Rick Hendrick, was less than thrilled with Chastain's latest antics, especially considering both teams — Hendrick Motorsports and Trackhouse Racing — are Chevy partners."I don't care if he's driving a Chevrolet if he wrecks our cars," Hendrick told the media. "I don't care. I've told Chevrolet that. If you wreck us, you're going to get it back. If you don't do it, they'll run all over you. I'm loyal to Chevrolet, but when somebody runs over us, then I expect my guys to hold their ground. I'm not going to ask them to yield just because of Chevrolet."<div type="image" title="Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick." height="1667" width="2500" msid="100258933" hostid="261" sizebytes="162000"></div>Hendrick went on to share <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nascar/has-ross-chastain-made-too-many-enemies-to-win-a-cup-title" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a feeling that other drivers and analysts</a> have also expressed about Chastain — that he is hurting himself more than the other drivers."He doesn't have to be that aggressive," Hendrick said. "I guess at this point in the race, maybe you're super aggressive, but you just don't run people up in the fence. He's going to make a lot of enemies. It's hard to win a championship when you've got a lot of paybacks out there."

NASCAR's biggest villain wrecked Kyle Larson just days after the ex-champ praised his 'awesome' tactics

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ross Chastain saved his season with a wild move on the final lap of the Martinsville playoff race.</li><li>While others slowed, Chastain hit the gas and wrecked his car on purpose to pass five cars.</li></ul>Ross Chastain already has his fair share of enemies on the track, and after his stunt in the NASCAR playoff race in Martinsville on Sunday, he may have gained a few more.With less than a lap to go, Denny Hamlin held a two-point lead over Ross Chastain for the final spot in next weekend's championship race. Chastain, who held the tie-breaker, either needed to make up two spots by passing cars or have Hamlin lose some in the final mile.That seemed unlikely as Chastain was a quarter-mile behind the next car on the track, and Hamlin looked like the fastest car. Then came something never before seen in NASCAR.On the short, one-mile track, drivers typically must slow way down in the paper-clip-like corners to avoid sliding up the track and into other cars or the wall. As the cars in front of Chastain — including Hamlin — slowed for the final turn, Chastain did the opposite, hitting the gas, taking his hands off the wheel, intentionally slamming into the wall, and zooming past five cars as if he had just used a mushroom in Mario Kart.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1586834658028703744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></blockquote>Here is another angle from the stands that better shows how much faster Chastain was going than everybody else. This video is not sped up.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Trackhouse Racing (@TeamTrackhouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1586880542267609089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2022</a></blockquote>Chastain went from 10th to fifth in the final corner and, more importantly, went from two points behind Hamlin to four points ahead on the last lap. That difference clinched the fourth spot in the championship and eliminated Hamlin."It was a video-game move off into Turn 3!" NBC analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. yelled. "Puts the car in the wall, wide open [on the gas] all the way around Turns 3 and 4 ... I've never seen anything like that before in my life."<h2>Some drivers are not happy about the precedent</h2>While fans were shocked and thrilled, NASCAR might have a problem with Chastain's move and the precedent it sets. The strategy might be fun because it has never been pulled off before, but it will lose its luster quickly if drivers start trying this maneuver more often.This sentiment was shared by defending NASCAR champ Kyle Larson, who may have inspired Chastain with a similar move at Darlington last year that failed when Hamlin blocked him at the line."Embarrassed that I did [inspire the move]... honestly," <a href="https://twitter.com/mattweaverra/status/1586839035292549120?s=12&amp;t=DsZr3A7OUtq-_j5N6WP2dg&amp;utm_source=pocket_mylist">Larson said after the race</a>. "That's not a good look for our sport at all. I don't know what you guys think. You probably think it's cool, but I think it is pretty embarrassing. For now, according to NASCAR, the move is legal, but there is already momentum for officials to address the move in the off-season.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1586863144726577152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></blockquote>Chastain, who has made several enemies on the track the last two seasons with his aggressive, throwback style — including Hamlin — was asked about the move and thanked his time as a kid playing NASCAR video games."Played a lot of NASCAR 2005 on the GameCube with [my brother] growing up," Chastain said. "You can get away with it. I never knew if it would actually work. I did that when I was eight years old. I grabbed fifth gear, asked off of two on the last lap if we needed it, and we did. I couldn't tell who was leading. I made the choice, grabbed fifth gear down the back. Full committed. Basically let go of the wheel, hoping I didn't catch the Turn 4 access gate or something crazy. But I was willing to do it."One advantage Chastain had, other than courage, was this year's NextGen cars can take more pounding than last year's. So while Chastain certainly roughed up his car, it was still mostly in one piece after the race.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Kelly Crandall (@KellyCrandall) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1586835979888910336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></blockquote>Now that we know it can work in real life, everybody knows, and according to former champ Joey Logano, that's not a good thing. "As spectacular as it was, as much as it worked, the problem is now the box is open," Logano said. "Now, every Xfinity race, every Truck race, every Cup race, no matter the track, this wall riding is going to be a play. That's not good. That's not good ... There needs to be a rule against this one because I don't know if you want the whole field riding the wall coming to the checkered flag. I don't know if it's the safest thing for the driver or the fans when you have a car right up at the wall hauling the mail like that."<a href="https://twitter.com/jeff_gluck/status/1586844705739898880">According to Jeff Gluck of The Athletic</a>, Logano suggested a rule similar to Formula One, where drivers can't pass other cars if they go off the track. In this case, Logano wondered if NASCAR might penalize drivers for passing after hitting the wall. In the meantime, Chastain's move puts him in the Championship Four and gives Pitbull's Trackhouse Racing a car in the championship in just their second season.One person who was not upset with the move was Pitbull's partner at Trackhouse, Justin Marks.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Justin Marks (@JustinMarksTH) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1586860598205493249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2022</a></blockquote>

NASCAR's favorite villain pulled off the impossible with a video-game move, and some drivers are not happy

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Michael Jordan has a car in the NASCAR playoffs for the first time as Kurt Busch clinched the 15th of 16 spots.</li><li>The final spot will come down to Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr, or somebody picking up their first win of the season.</li></ul>With just one race to go in the regular season, the NASCAR playoff picture got much clearer, as Kurt Busch clinched the penultimate spot without even racing.<a href="https://www.insider.com/nascar-watkins-glen-race-results-kyle-larson-chase-elliott-2022-8">Kyle Larson shoved teammate Chase Elliott out of the way for the win on Sunday at Watkins Glen</a>. More importantly for the playoffs, since Larson was not a first-time winner, there can't be more than 16 winners during the regular season, and now the 15 drivers who have won at least one race are locked into the playoffs.That includes Busch, who has missed the last five races with a concussion and was the final driver with a win who was still not guaranteed a playoff spot. The playoff berth is also the first for second-year team 23XI Racing, co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin. Fellow second-year team, Trackhouse Racing, co-owned by Pitbull and former racer Justin Marks, has both its drivers — Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez — in the playoffs this season.<div type="image" title="Daniel Suarez" height="1033" width="1496" msid="93717007" hostid="261" sizebytes="176182"></div><h2>15 drivers and 2 scenarios for final playoff spot</h2>The final playoff spot will now come down to the regular-season finale in Daytona. There are two scenarios, and both guarantee that at least one top driver will get screwed:<ul><li>Ryan Blaney vs. Martin Truex Jr on points — If Daytona is won by a driver already in the playoffs, the final spot will come down to the points standings. Ryan Blaney, third in points this season, is the highest-ranked driver without a win or a playoff spot, and Truex, sixth in the standings and 25 points behind Blaney, is the only driver who can catch him. </li><li>A winless driver wins Daytona — If a first-time winner wins the Daytona race and is in the top 30 in the points standings, they get the final playoff spot. Blaney and Truex are two of the 15 drivers who can still get in by this route. </li></ul>Points are overly complicated in NASCAR, but the clearest path for Truex without winning the race would be to finish at least 26 places ahead of Blaney in Daytona. That challenge becomes easier if Truex can pick up more points than Blaney during the race by finishing the first or second stage in the top 10 and ahead of Blaney.Jordan and 23XI Racing could still get a second car into the playoffs <a href="https://www.insider.com/nascar-schedule-playoffs-bubba-wallace-2022-7">if Bubba Wallace can win this week at his favorite track</a> (Wallace has three runner-up finishes at Daytona and his only win came on another superspeedway at Talladega).Another notable driver who could still knock out Blaney and Truex is the former champ, Brad Keselowski, who has won at Daytona. Five other drivers who are still alive have won races at Daytona, including Erik Jones, Aric Almirola, Austin Dillon, Michael McDowell, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Here is a look at the 15 drivers in the playoffs and the playoff points they have earned that will carry over into the postseason.<div type="image" title="NASCAR Playoff Standings" height="2500" width="2000" msid="93717009" hostid="261" sizebytes="452878"></div>

NASCAR's chaotic playoff picture now includes a Michael Jordan driver, while at least one top name is about to get screwed

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ross Chastain set the NASCAR world on fire with his wild stunt to clinch a spot in the championship.</li><li>Not all drivers were happy with the 'video-game move,' saying it set a bad precedent.</li></ul><a href="https://www.insider.com/nascar-video-game-move-ross-chastain-martinsville-playoffs-2022-10">Ross Chastain set the NASCAR world on fire with his "video-game move"</a> in Sunday's playoff race, and while some weren't happy, one long-time crew chief had some strong words for the party poopers.Larry McReynolds, a NASCAR crew chief and Fox Sports analyst, made appearances on FS1's "NASCAR Race Hub" and SiriusXM Radio and explained why Chastain did nothing wrong, why NASCAR doesn't need a rule to stop it in the future, and how the fun police need to just enjoy the moment.After marveling at all the attention the move generated for NASCAR outside of the sport, McReynolds first addressed the drivers who didn't like it."It has moved the needle across the board," McReynolds said on FS1. "And I realize there are some drivers saying we can't have this every week. And you know what? I don't want to see it every week, and I don't think we will. But let it breathe. Celebrate one of the neatest things we have seen in our sport in a long time."<div type="image" title="Larry McReynolds" height="1667" width="2500" msid="95237766" hostid="261" sizebytes="436616"></div><h2>Not everybody was impressed</h2>One of the drivers who didn't like the move was defending champion Kyle Larson, who may have inspired Chastain with a similar stunt at Darlington last year that didn't work."Embarrassed that I did [inspire the move]... honestly," <a href="https://twitter.com/mattweaverra/status/1586839035292549120?s=12&amp;t=DsZr3A7OUtq-_j5N6WP2dg&amp;utm_source=pocket_mylist">Larson said after the race</a>. "That's not a good look for our sport at all. I don't know what you guys think. You probably think it's cool, but I think it is pretty embarrassing."<a href="https://www.insider.com/nascar-video-game-move-ross-chastain-martinsville-playoffs-2022-10">Former champion Joey Logano called the move "spectacular" but worried about the precedent</a> the move might set for future races. He called for NASCAR to outlaw the move and even suggested a Formula One-like penalty where drivers are not permitted to pass cars if they leave the racing line and hit the wall.McReynolds was not buying it."Ross Chastain didn't do anything wrong," McReynolds said. "He didn't shortcut the track. He didn't bring out a caution. He didn't wreck nobody but his own race car. He executed it to a T."He also slammed the idea of outlawing the maneuver after praising Chastain for showing "passion" in his effort to clinch a spot in the championship."I guess he could have stayed on the throttle in the groove and plowed through whoever the two or three in front of him was and hope it came out for the good," McReynolds said while <a href="https://twitter.com/siriusxmnascar/status/1587108791962804224?s=12&amp;t=FRzU3rLO1zjSvinc0AN7Sg&amp;utm_source=pocket_mylist">hosting his "On Track" show on SiriusXM</a>. "But the kid went about it another way ... and shame on NASCAR if they are even considering coming up with a rule. Forbid them. That would just be ripping us apart if they come up with a rule. What are you going to say? You can't get against the wall? What is the rule going to be, for Pete's sake?"<h2>Some were just impressed that Chastain even tried the move</h2>Chastain's teammate at Trackhouse Racing, Daniel Suarez, was a guest on "NASCAR Race Hub" and praised the move, but more for having the awareness even to try it."It's definitely one of the craziest things [I've ever seen]," Suarez said. "The crazy part is not to do it. It is to think about it.... To think about that as an option, you have to be a little wild. To do it, to put it up into the wall, doesn't require talent. You just have to be a little crazy to be able to do it. But to think about that as an option, that's where I give a lot of credit to Ross because, at that particular moment, that was his only option."Not all of Chastain's competitors were against the move that <a href="https://www.insider.com/nascar-video-game-move-ross-chastain-martinsville-playoffs-2022-10">Chastain said came from his childhood when he played NASCAR video games</a>. Former NASCAR champion and current Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick marveled at the guts it took.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Kevin Harvick (@KevinHarvick) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1587070062690697216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2022</a></blockquote>And it wasn't just people in the NASCAR world who were impressed. Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso called it the move of the year in motorsports.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1587110859662364673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2022</a></blockquote>

Long-time NASCAR crew chief defends Ross Chastain's controversial playoff 'video-game' move

<ul class="summary-list"><li>You can cross IndyCar off Daniel Ricciardo's future even though he won't drive in F1 next season.</li><li>Ricciardo called IndyCar ovals too scary.</li></ul>Daniel Ricciardo drives 200 mph (320 kph) for a living, but even he is not brave enough to make the switch to IndyCar thanks to their even-higher-speed ovals.Ricciardo, the uber-popular Formula One driver for McLaren Racing, <a href="https://www.insider.com/f1-2023-grid-daniel-ricciardo-future-grim-2022-9">is not expected to have a seat when the music stops in the game of 2023 F1 driver musical chairs</a>. But while some have speculated that North America's top open-wheel formula series, IndyCar, would be a logical next step, he shut that down pretty quickly, noting some of their races are just too scary."Fuck that, ovals scare me," <a href="https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/ricciardo-denies-signing-f1-reserve-deal-indycar-move/10388766/">Ricciardo said when Luke Smith of Motorsport</a> asked about the possibility of making the jump. "My Formula One career-slash-ambition is not over, so that's really like first and foremost. I don't want to deviate, I would say primarily for that reason. But also ovals, nah. Ten years ago, I would have said yes. I'm OK to admit that I'm not OK with ovals."<h2>Ricciardo's comments sound similar to those of big-name drivers who switched to IndyCar</h2>Earlier this year, former F1 driver Romain Grosjean qualified for his first Indianapolis 500. After qualifying, he sounded glad that the entire experience was behind him, as the top cars regularly hit 240-242 mph (386-390 kph)."It was scary," <a href="https://www.insider.com/romain-grosjean-indy-500-qualifying-scary-2022-5">Grosjean said with a smile when asked about qualifying</a>. "We tried everything we had to go fast and get some speed in the car, but it was definitely nerve-wracking. It wasn't easy. I used all the tools in the car. I'm glad it's behind me."<div type="image" title="Romain Grosjean" height="1667" width="2500" msid="95106094" hostid="261"></div>Another famed driver, seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, moved to IndyCar in 2021 and initially vowed only to race on the road and street courses. He said <a href="https://apnews.com/article/charlotte-indycar-nascar-jimmie-johnson-6e985245f1a5fc888b22f4b4f6987783">his wife would never approve of the ludicrous speeds IndyCars reach in Indianapolis</a>.However, he changed his stance in 2022.After<a href="https://www.insider.com/jimmie-johnson-indycar-iowa-qualifying-2022-7"> Johnson qualified at the Iowa oval in July,</a> you could tell it was unlike anything he had ever experienced in a race car."Wow, that's the best cup of coffee you could ever have," Johnson said, later adding: "What a rush. To go that fast around a little oval like this — I have plenty of experience on ovals — it's just such a crazy experience."<div type="image" title="Jimmie Johnson IndyCar" height="1106" width="1906" msid="95106096" hostid="261"></div><h2>Ricciardo doesn't want to mess with NASCAR ovals either</h2>Ricciardo, who grew up a fan of NASCAR and Dale Earnhardt, said he also wouldn't race full-time in NASCAR because of the ovals. However, in this case, it was more about his lack of experience."I'd like to drive an oval just to kind of see what it's like, but I probably wouldn't want to compete because I just, I don't think I'll be competitive and wouldn't probably do it justice," Ricciardo told Insider before the Miami Grand Prix.Ricciardo wouldn't completely rule out NASCAR, saying he would "leave the door open" to making an occasional appearance on a road course."A road course or something would be fun, but I'll walk before I can run," Ricciardo said. "It's such a different discipline that I'll want to do some testing and kind of see where I'm at. And let's say if that all went well and I had good confidence in the car, then, you know, I might put my hand up, but I wouldn't jump to conclusions. It's a very different beast."So I think to go into NASCAR, even if it was just a one-off race and to, let's say, to rub shoulders with so many guys that I've watched since I was a kid, I think that would also be a, a similar feeling [to racing with older F1 drivers when he was younger]."This was a similar path taken by former F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen, who made his NASCAR debut earlier this year at the Watkins Glen road course. In fact, Trackhouse Racing's "Project 91," which aims to bring international drivers to NASCAR for one-off appearances — such as Raikkonen — would seem like a perfect fit for Ricciardo.

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NASCAR's first Mexican race-winner was so broke when he first came to the US he had to watch cartoons to learn English

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One of NASCAR's nicest drivers appeared to speed past 7 cars to intentionally rear-end a rival on pit road after the race ended

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Pitbull's NASCAR team signs former F1 champion Kimi Raikkonen for road race

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Some drivers don't like the NASCAR playoff format, but this year's races have been an awesome mix of drama, controversy, and chaos

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Pitbull was the Grand Marshal for the Daytona 500, and he gave a very Pitbull start to the race

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Somebody finally confronted NASCAR's biggest villain and it didn't go well

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Pitbull celebrated his NASCAR team's latest win with a taco piñata filled with cash and candy

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NASCAR's biggest villain wrecked Kyle Larson just days after the ex-champ praised his 'awesome' tactics

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NASCAR's favorite villain pulled off the impossible with a video-game move, and some drivers are not happy

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NASCAR's chaotic playoff picture now includes a Michael Jordan driver, while at least one top name is about to get screwed

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Long-time NASCAR crew chief defends Ross Chastain's controversial playoff 'video-game' move

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Daniel Ricciardo won't leave F1 for IndyCar because the North American open-wheel series is too scary

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