NASCAR star Ross Chastain still believes he and his fellow Cup Series drivers will do absolutely anything to win a race, suggesting recent comments made by Kyle Busch will be proved correct.
NASCAR announced earlier this week that it would be scrapping the playoffs altogether for 2026, opting instead to return to The Chase format that has featured in the sport previously.
One key part of returning to format has been ditching 'win and you're in'. Last season and for many years now, a driver only had to win a single Cup Series race to qualify for the playoffs, no matter if it was race one or race 26.
Now, that has all changed. Winners will instead earn a small boost in points, with the 16 drivers taking part in The Chase determined by the points standings at the conclusion of the regular season.
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Ross Chastain issues verdict on win and you're in
Whilst many see the above as a positive change, one concern has been that some drivers might take it easier in races in favor of collecting points, rather than risking it all and going for a victory. However, Chastain disagrees, such is the importance and status of a Cup Series victory.
"In my opinion, a win is so massive in life, to win in the Cup Series, that every driver that straps in on race day is willing to do whatever it takes," Chastain told the media at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
"Any of them that say they won't try to win and [do] everything they know how to do, I don't think is telling the truth.
"Not that anybody's doing that, but I just think that a win in the Cup Series means so much that it doesn't matter [about] the points.
"In that moment, you're worried about winning and that's why we're all here. That's why we started racing as kids and kept trying to move up - we wanted to win at a higher level and a higher level, we chased that next series, the next class.
"At least that's what I did and that's what I see a lot of my competitors did as well when I look back at their upbringing, so I think now that we're all here, we'll all do whatever it takes.
"It's that special to win these Cup races."
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Chastain comments back up Kyle Busch's argument
Chastain's comments also suggest that fellow Cup Series star Kyle Busch is right about the impact 'win and you're in' being ditched might have on the cleanliness of racing.
Some, such as Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano, believe that removing the 'win and you're in' aspect could see some of the over-aggressive driving and subsequent wrecks that we have seen in the Cup Series in recent years reduced.
However, Busch does not believe this is the case, with over-aggressive driving bred in young drivers long before they get to NASCAR, in his experience.
"No, no," Busch told a media scrum when asked if he thought racing etiquette would improve now that 'win and you're in' has been ditched.
“When you watch all the children that race all year long in the ARCAs and the Late Models and the other things, you see that stuff already.
"They're taught from a very young age to dive bomb and run into him and door that guy.
"Being a dad, I've heard those words, and maybe I've said those words once or twice. But yeah, it won't change a whole lot."
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