“Denny Hamlin would have done the same thing”: Steve Letarte on Ross Chastain’s ‘derailed the Toyota strategy' move

Former NASCAR crew chief Steve Letarte recently broke down the strategy used by Toyota drivers in the Talladega Cup Series race. Letarte further shared how Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain threw a spanner in the works for the Toyota drivers by performing a simple yet effective defensive maneuver.

As several drivers rejoined the race after making pit stops, Chastain ran the outside line with Carson Hocevar behind him. While the #1 Chevy driver let Hocevar thread the needle and pass him, Denny Hamlin, who was right behind Hocevar, was very carefully blocked by the Trackhouse Racing driver. Hamlin was followed by his 23XI Racing driver Riley Herbst, who also had to stomp on the brakes.

On a recent episode of NASCAR's Inside The Race podcast, the former crew chief turned analyst discussed Chastain's move using a clip from the race and shared his perspective.

"The #77 is leading a line of Toyotas. The #77 of Carson Hosevar, the #11 of Denny Hamlin, and the #35 of Riley Herbst. They are catching now cars that have already pitted and they're trying to blend[...] A huge block by Chastain here. So you're gonna see the #77, he threads through, the #11 has to get completely out of the gas.

Steve Letarte then listened in on Hamlin's throttle, which seemed to go all the way down the moment he reached behind Chastain. Following that, he said:

"I don't know if they would have got all the way back to the front, that's impossible to say, but you can't regain momentum. Once it's gone, it's gone. Once the energy is spent, it's spent."

After completely explaining the entire situation to his co-host Jeff Burton, the 45-year-old backed the Trackhouse driver, stating that he does not have a problem with Chastain defending his line. Furthermore, Letarte stated that Denny Hamlin would have done the same thing had the roles been swapped.

"I don't have a problem with what Chastain's doing here. (1:39) []..I'm sure Denny's not happy with him, but I'm sure Denny would have done the same thing if he was in Ross's spot, So I am okay with it. But that I think what derailed the Toyota strategy " (1:44 onwards)

Steve Letarte retired from his NASCAR career after two successful stints with Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Now, He works as a broadcaster for NBC, Amazon Prime, and TNT, and is also working as a consultant for Spire Motorsports.

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Steve Letarte dissects the critical money stop that sabotaged Carson Hocevar’s Bristol hopes

Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar looked set for a top-five finish at Bristol Motor Speedway earlier this month. Despite running a strong race, a costly final pit stop derailed his chances of securing a spot in the top 10 in the Food City 500. Afterwards, Spire Motorsports consultant Steve Letarte weighed in on what went wrong during the crucial stop.

According to Letarte, the jack failed to fully engage with the jack post as Hocevar’s #77 Chevrolet was lifted from the left side. This mishap caused a lengthy 22-second pit stop, ultimately ending Hocevar’s hopes for a well-deserved top-five finish.

"I am a big fan of just going to get the known quantity, getting the brand new jack and jacking the car. Either way, 22 seconds, a lap down, eliminated the top five run for Hocevar, unfortunate situation," Steve Letarte said on Inside The Race

Carson Hocevar ended the race with a P11 finish. Kyle Larson won the race, with Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs completing the podium