"We were up there where we needed to be" - Ross Chastain 'proud' of his Trackhouse Racing team after P6 finish at NASCAR Bristol race

Ross Chastain is still advancing to greater heights. Over the weekend, NASCAR concluded its Round of 16, and the Melon Farmer was among the drivers who managed to book their spots in the Round of 12, which will kick off next weekend. Apart from being one of the most competitive drivers in the regular season, Chastain has also emerged as one of the most competitive drivers in this year's playoffs.

Saturday night saw the entire driver lineup for the final race of the Round of 16 take on Bristol Motor Speedway, which meant four drivers were going to be eliminated from contention at the end of the 500 laps. Arriving in Bristol with a strong finish, Chastain only had one assignment of maintaining a good run throughout the day.

After a long day, it was clear that Ross Chastain understood the assignment. He wrapped up his Bristol race with a fine top 10 finish despite starting his day outside the top 10 grid.

Speaking in a post-race interview, Ross Chastain expressed his satisfaction with the Trackhouse Racing team for minimizing things that could have eliminated him from the race. According to the #1 Chevy driver, they managed to be up there where they needed to be all night despite being tight throughout.

In his statement, Chastain said:

"I’m proud of the effort from Trackhouse Racing, the No. 1 Worldwide Express team, and Chevrolet to minimize things that take you out of the race. The minimal amount of flat tires. None for Trackhouse. That’s what we need; we needed extra air in the tires and extra clearance off the ground."

He went on to add:

"We struggled just being tight all night. We put a couple of rounds in the right-rear there at the end and drove up to sixth. We were up there where we needed to be all night. … To be honest, I’ve only had Homestead on my mind next for the test this week."

Even though Chastain began the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs on the wrong foot, he still managed to bounce back into his competitive mode. He opened the playoffs with a P20 finish at Darlington after taking the green flag on P12. After arriving in Kansas with a P20 finish, he scored his first playoff top 10 finish, finishing 7th.

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Ross Chastain determined to take 2022 championship trophy

Ross Chastain entered the playoffs with two wins and a long list of one-track enemies, and many thought this would work against him. So far, the Melon Farmer has outperformed some drivers considered the best fit to carry the 2022 championship trophy.

He has beaten all odds to proceed to the Round of 12 and is determined to reach the championship four before fighting for the championship title in Phoenix in November 2022. This is the first time he has reached the playoffs, and winning the championship will be one of his biggest achievements this season.