"It’s just racing": Ross Chastain on whether he'd attempt an Austin Dillon-esque move to get to the playoffs

During a pre-race press conference at the Michigan International Speedway on Saturday, Ross Chastain was asked whether he'd be okay with doing something similar to what Austin Dillon did at Richmond. The Richard Childress Racing driver, who was 32nd in points before the race last Sunday, took out two of the biggest names in the sport—Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin—to take the win and make the playoffs.

In the aftermath of that race, Dillon was penalized by NASCAR, who allowed him to keep the win but concede the playoff spot.

Chastain, who is also in a battle to make the playoffs given he has been winless so far this season, was asked if he would take the same route as Dillon to make it. It's worth mentioning that Chastain is one of the most aggressive drivers in the garage today. His rivalry and multiple on-track incidents with Hamlin from the last few seasons along with his 'Hail Melon' move at Martinsville are testament to the level Chastain goes to get the result in his favor.

“I don’t know.. I think it’s a case-by-case. I never thought I would drive into the wall in fifth gear at Martinsville [Speedway], until I did it. I think that no one knows what’s going through Austin’sehead for that scenario. So I don’t know.. I don’t have a predetermined decision on what I’m going to do. It’s just racing at the end of these races," Chastain replied.

However, Chastain did have some resolute opinions on 'the line' which drivers aren't expected to cross to win a race. Chastain claimed that it's good that a line is not written down in words, visuals, or in any concrete way.

"It’s a total body of work. It’s a culmination of decisions that we all make, and we all are watching each other; watching and listening to the tower and they’re watching and listening to us. We’re watching our competitors. I’m going back and watching myself after an event, and I continue to evolve," he said.

Chastain said that while the line isn't clear, he is always aware of what he feels everyone would think of his actions on the track. He added that one can't simply be "too far against the grain."

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Ross Chastain opens up on his approach in the last 3 races of the regular season

With only 3 races left in the regular season, Chastain is currently below the cut line. The #1 driver is -3 points below the cut line with Bubba Wallace above him.

Because of his situation and the number of races left, Chastain was also asked in the pre-race presser regarding his approach to these last few races.

"Hopefully just getting faster. I mean you look at Christopher (Buescher) and I, we’re tied in points. We have the same average finishing position. I don’t look at anything other than trying to go fast. That’s the only thing we’re focused on.. executing," Chastain replied.

The Trackhouse Racing driver opened up on his mistake during the recent race at Richmond when he missed the pit road, which costed him spots. Chastain claimed that his focus is on minimizing such mistakes as he emphasized his team's sole goal of going faster.

Because as per the #1 driver, going faster would help solve a lot of their problems as a team.