The Melon Man brings the countdown to 32Â Days to Daytona. The last race winner of the 2023 season will look to keep the winning ways going in 2024. After missing the Championship Four last season, the #1 Trackhouse Racing team will look to return there this season. With a new anchor sponsor, what can fans expect from Chastain and the 1 car in 2024?
#1 Trackhouse Racing
Driver: Ross Chastain
Crew Chief: Phil Surgen
Sponsors: Busch Beer, Jockey, Moose Fraternal Order, Kubota, Worldwide Express
2024 Season Preview
New Busch Man
Upon the retirement of Kevin Harvick, Anheuser-Busch was looking for their replacement driver. With Stewart-Haas Racing on the decline, the company turned to a new team and manufacturer to be the NASCAR face of their brand. Ross Chastain is a good match for the Busch Light brand. Plus, this could mean a new watermelon flavored Busch Light coming to a NASCAR track near you. Busch Light will become the anchor sponsor for the 1 car, serving as the primary for 18 races this season.
Which Chastain?
Ross Chastain has garnered a reputation for being overly aggressive and getting under other drivers’ skin. This came to a boiling point during the throwback race at Darlington. After contact with Kyle Larson ruined both drivers’ days, Rick Hendrick and Justin Marks spoke with Chastain about his aggressive driving. It seemed to have an impact on his season, as Chastain fell from leading the points to eighth after Daytona. While the on-track incidents were down, so was the race winning speed. However, aggressive Chastain returned for the Phoenix finale as he blocked Ryan Blaney continuously in the closing laps. Which Chastain will show up in 2024?
Face of Trackhouse
Over the past two seasons, it has become crystal clear that Ross Chastain is driver one at Trackhouse Racing. While the initial vibe of Trackhouse Racing meshed well with Daniel Suarez, Chastain has supplanted his teammates to take center stage. Not only is the Melon Man the face of his organization, but he is one of the faces of NASCAR. Between his Hail Melon move and watermelon smash celebration, it is clear why Chastain has become so popular. If the on-track success continues, Chastain has a chance to establish himself as NASCAR’s second most popular driver (if he is not there already).
Daytona 500 Chances
While Ross Chastain has a superspeedway win in the Cup Series, his Daytona outings have not gone so well. His best finish at the historic track is seventh back in 2021. In this past Daytona 500, Chastain managed a Top-10 result. However, the Melon Man also has 5 DNFs at the track, including 2 in the Daytona 500. While it would be wrong to completely write him off, his Daytona track record does not inspire confidence in a win.
Speedweeks Outlook
If Ross Chastain finishes the Daytona 500, the likely result will be a Top-20 finish. The potential for a strong finish is there, but Chastain and Trackhouse do not have good history. Qualifying will likely be a dud, as Chastain has only qualified inside the Top-10 once at Daytona. His duel history is worse, with only 2 Top-10s in 5 races. While a poor starting position does not mean a bad finish, it certainly has not helped him thus far in his Daytona 500 career.
Previous Days
40-36 Days: 40 – #12, 39 – #5, 38 – #24, 37 – #20, & 36 – #11
