Ross Chastain silences critics with statement win in Nashville

Chastain won the pole for Sunday night's Ally 400 at Nashville, the first of his career in his 168th Cup Series start. He then went on to lead 99 of 300 laps as he held off Martin Truex, Jr. to take the victory, his first of the season and third of his career.

After completing his trademark watermelon smash victory celebration (Chastain has never lost sight of his family's roots as blue-collar watermelon farmers), the driver of the No. 1 car had a loud-and-clear message for his detractors.

"When you get criticized... when they try and tear you down, you will start believing that you can't do it," Chastain told reporters in his post-race winners' interview. "You've got to go to your people, trust in the process... just keep getting up and keep going to work. I had a group that believed in me, and they didn't let me get down."

It's Chastain's chip-on-the-shoulder mentality that has endeared him to so many fans since his meteoric rise in NASCAR's ranks, and a personality like his is exactly what the sport needs. However, his aggressive driving style has turned many others away, and it's been fair to point out that his number in the win column doesn't really back up the hype.

Before Sunday night, the only two wins of Chastain's career were on a road course and a superspeedway, both in 2022 and both instances in which the leaders tangled on the final lap. He'd yet to win a race on an intermediate, non-drafting oval, the bread and butter of NASCAR's schedule.

That box has now been checked. Chastain won without any controversy or any luck involved, and now that the weight has been lifted off of his shoulders, there's sure to be many more to come.