Ross Chastain got to NASCAR’s top level the hard way. He had been in the Truck Series since 2011, starting part-time with funded rides in low-end trucks. He did not win his first national-level race until an Xfinity Series start in 2018, his first-ever appearance with Chip Ganassi Racing ahead of what was expected to be a full schedule in 2019. That fell apart when Chastain’s new sponsor, DC Solar, proved to be part of what the Department of Justice called a “billion dollar Ponzi scheme.” He landed in a full-time Cup Series ride with the team in 2021 anyway, a result of their unexpected opening when Kyle Larson was fired months earlier. Then, halfway through 2021, Chip Ganassi Racing’s NASCAR program was sold to the upstart Trackhouse Racing.
Trackhouse owner Justin Marks ended up hiring Chastain to join the second-year program with big ambitions. The growth was immediate: After failing to finish at Daytona and struggling at Fontana, Chastain finished third, second, and second in the next three races. With one to go, he found himself in a battle with AJ Allmendinger and destined for another top three finish. He had no interest in that finish being second.
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Chastain was leading when Allmendinger bumped him off track on a corner exit, taking the lead himself. The hit allowed Alex Bowman to move to second,…
