Ross Chastain Shoots Down Next Gen Car Critics: 'They Don't Speak For All Of Us'

NASCAR driver Ross Chastain seems to be courting controversy once again by calling out some of his fellow “Race For The Championship” stars over comments they've bhnb gv m  made about the hottest issue of the 2022 Cup Series season, Next Gen cars. 

For those unfamiliar, this season marks a big change for NASCAR drivers across the board. The organization implemented mandatory criteria for all racers to use Next Gen cars. The move is theoretically designed to level the playing field for everyone and ensure the teams with the resources and access to higher quality parts and enormous engineering teams aren’t the only ones dominating on the track. 

While the goal has been to allow talent to rise to the top of the rankings, several seasoned NASCAR drivers like Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez and more have come forward to the media noting they have serious concerns about the safety and performance of these Next Gen cars. 

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Following the race at Talladega Superspeedway over the weekend, Chastain seemed to take issue with the criticism the Next Gen cars are facing from some of his colleagues in racing and explained he fears the loudest critics are getting all the spotlight.

“I just want to say, they don’t speak for all of us on everything they want to say,” he told reporters after the race. 

Never one to avoid controversy, he then called out Denny Hamlin for past comments he made about those staying silent on the Next Gen car issue. 

“Denny says, ‘Look, these guys are just being quiet because they’re happy to be here,’ but they have their own thoughts, too. I know I do. Everything he says is not just the mouthpiece for the entire garage,” Chastain said. 

As for what Chastain actually thinks about the Next Gen cars’ performance this season so far? Like many, he seems to believe there is a learning curve and is excited to see where the sport goes from here. 

“So, sometimes saying less is more,” he said. “There’s a lot of talking and really a lot of pinpointed efforts to move the safety forward and you’re going to see that coming soon. Safety never stops, man. We always can make these things safer.” 

Chastain’s comments are in stark contrast to Hamlin’s post-race thoughts on Next Gen cars. According to NBC Sports, he used his time with reporters to urge other drivers who are skeptical about their performance to speak up and urge NASCAR to do something. 

“I know a lot of young guys are just happy to be here, but they ain’t going to be happy when their brains are scrambled for the rest of their lives,” Hamlin said Saturday. He went on to suggest allowing teams to design and build their cars. 

You can see all the teams in the Cup Series grapple with the Next Gen cars on “Race For The Championship” every Thursday at 10/9c on USA Network. 

In the meantime, you can watch more NASCAR content on Peacock right now.