Ross Chastain has secured four NASCAR Cup Series victories throughout his career, all achieved in the last two seasons with Trackhouse Racing. By this point in the previous two seasons, he had already claimed at least one victory.
However, in the current 2024 season, Chastain’s overall performance metrics, such as top 5 finishes and top 10 finishes, are lower compared to his statistics from 2022 and 2023. He has yet to win a race this season. Prior to the New Hampshire race on June 23, Chastain was asked to evaluate his performance in the first half of the season, and he offered a candid assessment.
“I struggle with self-assessment,” Chastain admitted. “I tend to be critical of myself. Personally, I’d give myself a C-minus, maybe. But for the team overall, I’d say a B. Things have been improving lately.”
“It might have been in the Cs two weeks ago, but we’ve managed to get the 99 and the 1 car both running at similar speeds, which is crucial. Now we can build on that. It was important for Daniel (Suarez) and me to be able to race closely together on track, which we hadn’t been able to do for a while. So overall, I’d give us a B.”
Ross Chastain stands out among many Cup drivers due to his non-racing background. As widely known, his family has been in the watermelon farming business. Now 31, when asked what advice he would give his 10-year-old self about racing and life, he reflected, “Ten-year-old Ross didn’t even consider racing as an option. I hadn’t raced at all until I was almost 13 when I first hit the track. So, maybe starting at age 12, I’d say, ‘all your dreams will come true.’ At that point, they were just dreams.”
Acknowledging that all his dreams have indeed materialized, Chastain is currently relishing his career racing competitively on Sundays. Asked how long he hopes to continue living his dream, he replied, “My goal is to remain in a competitive Cup car for 20 years. That’s been my ambition since I entered the Xfinity Series. Now in my fourth year in Cup, I’m aiming to see where this journey takes me.”
