Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez spent the last four years as teammates at Trackhouse Racing, but they aren’t teammates any longer. Suarez now drives for Spire Motorsports after being let go from Trackhouse, and he has had a solid start to the 2026 season.
But on Sunday, Suarez and Chastain were running at the backend of the top 20. Battling for 17th, Chastain passed Suarez to the outside with just a few laps to go. As the #1 Trackhouse driver passed him on the outside in a very close battle, he appeared to gesture to Suarez out the window with one finger.
Advertisement
Chastain finished 17th, while Suarez was 18th. On the cooldown lap, the #7 Spire driver pulled alongside Chastain, who then doored him down the backstretch. They continued to drive side-by-side on their way back to the pits but Suarez pulled ahead.
Once stopped, both drivers quickly exited their vehicles and had a tense discussion next to the #1 car. At one point, they put their hands on each other and there was some brief shoving before getting separated. They continued to exchange words for a few more seconds before the confrontation ended.
These two even had some tense moments while they were still teammates at Trackhouse, notably at COTA in 2024 when Suarez took issue with Chastain for some late-race contact, bumped him after the race and confronted him in the pits. Last year, they also had a coming together at Sonoma, where Chastain spun Suarez in the hairpin.
Advertisement
Watch Chastain/Suarez confrontation
Photos from Las Vegas – Race
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Austin Cindric, Team Penske
Austin Cindric, Team Penske
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Chris Buescher, RFK Racing
Chris Buescher, RFK Racing
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Cole Custer, Haas Factory Team
Cole Custer, Haas Factory Team
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing
Connor Zilisch, Trackhouse Racing
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Advertisement
Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports
Noah Gragson, Front Row Motorsports
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Joey Logano, Team Penske
Joey Logano, Team Penske
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Advertisement
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing
Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing
AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
General view
General view
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Advertisement
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Daniel Suárez, Spire Motorsports, Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Club
Daniel Suárez, Spire Motorsports, Erik Jones, Legacy Motor Club
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Advertisement
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Advertisement
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing and his mother Mary Lou Hamlin
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing and his mother Mary Lou Hamlin
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Advertisement
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing
Sean Gardner / Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing
Chris Graythen – Getty Images
Read Also:
SVG’s wild Las Vegas save joins NASCAR’s greatest car-control moments
Denny Hamlin overcomes penalty, beats Chase Elliott to win Las Vegas Cup race
To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.
Read the full article here
