Daniel Suárez Blasts Ross Chastain for 'Chicken Stuff' After Las Vegas Race

Suárez reveals he lost respect for his former Trackhouse Racing teammate after confrontation on pit road.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 11:11pm

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Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain, former teammates at Trackhouse Racing, had a confrontation on pit road following Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Suárez accused Chastain of intentionally making contact with his car on the cooldown lap, which he called "super unacceptable." The two drivers also had an incident on the track late in the race, leading to Chastain giving Suárez the middle finger. Suárez said Chastain then said some things that "crossed the line" after the race, leading Suárez to lose a lot of respect for him as a person.

Why it matters

The confrontation between the two drivers highlights the intense rivalries that can develop in NASCAR, even between former teammates. Suárez's comments about losing respect for Chastain could add extra drama and tension to their future on-track battles.

The details

According to Suárez, the incident started when Chastain made contact with his car on the cooldown lap after the race, which Suárez found to be unacceptable since drivers are loosening their belts at that point. Suárez said there was also an incident between the two drivers late in the race in Turn 2, where Suárez got loose and crowded Chastain, though they did not make direct contact. Chastain responded by giving Suárez the middle finger down the backstretch.

  • The incident on the cooldown lap occurred after the race on Sunday, March 16, 2026.
  • The on-track incident between Suárez and Chastain happened with about 3 laps to go in the race.

The players

Daniel Suárez

A NASCAR Cup Series driver who was formerly teammates with Ross Chastain at Trackhouse Racing.

Ross Chastain

A NASCAR Cup Series driver who was formerly teammates with Daniel Suárez at Trackhouse Racing.

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What they’re saying

“He hit me on the cooldown lap, which I think is super unacceptable because at that point, we're already loosening our belts and all these kinds of things. Some people even open their belts completely — that's not good.”

— Daniel Suárez (YouTube)

“For me, the biggest thing is afterwards. What happens on the racetrack, happens on the racetrack. That's racing, like, everyone is going to get into it with a driver every once in a while. We're all competitive, we're all racing, and we're always threading the needle. That's part of it. I have known Ross for a long time, and I have always known that he and I were very different kind of people. But that's OK. I have a lot of respect for him. But the kind of words that he said after the race, it's just completely unacceptable. That's chicken stuff, that's not good. I lost a lot of respect for him as a person, because it's just not good. It's not a good look for him and not a good look for the kind of person that he is, I think.”

— Daniel Suárez (YouTube)

What’s next

Chastain has yet to publicly comment on the incident, so it remains to be seen if he will address Suárez's accusations.

The takeaway

The confrontation between Suárez and Chastain underscores the intense rivalries that can develop in NASCAR, even between former teammates. Their feud could add extra drama and tension to their future on-track battles.