As with the previous two teams covered in the Days to Daytona series, Ross Chastain and the Trackhouse Racing #1 team had a better season than their points finish indicates. Not picking up a win during the regular season proved to be killer. However, 2025 offers new hope and optimism for the season. Is there a bounce back year in the works for Ross Chastain?
The #1 Team
Driver: Ross Chastain
Crew Chief: Phil Surgen
Sponsors: Busch Light, Moose Fraternity, Kubota, Jockey
2024 Statistics: 1 Win, 6 Top-5s, 14 Top-10s, 1 Pole, 311 Laps Led, 14.9 Average Finish
2025 Season Preview
The Real Ross Chastain
Since linking up with Trackhouse Racing, Ross Chastain has turned into their primary driver. Off the back of strong 2022, Chastain became a household (in NASCAR) name and looked to be set up as a star. However, a conversation with Mr. H in mid-2023 seemed to damper Chastain and that carried over into 2024. Chastain ran consistently well, but his aggressive style lacked and it showed. His 311 laps led were less than half of his previous 2 seasons. Heading into 2025, the question is which Ross Chastain will show up: the aggressive show stealer or a calmer, consistent racer?
Setting the Trackhouse Standard
Although Daniel Suarez was the first Trackhouse driver, there is little argument that Ross Chastian has taken over as the face of the team. Over the past 3 seasons, Chastain has picked up 5 wins and finished second in the points in 2022. Chastain is the measuring stick for how well Trackhouse is performing. Rarely does Daniel Suarez completely outrun his counterpart. For 2025, that will likely to continue to be the case outside of road courses. Fans should be looking at Chastain’s early season results to see what to expect from Trackhouse as a whole.
A Breakout Season
Although some would argue 2022 was a breakout season for Ross Chastain, he has yet to rattle off a large number of wins. Granted, he has thrown away plenty of wins over his Trackhouse tenure. With an expectation of Trackhouse ticking back up this season, could Chastain be in line for a 4-5 win season? Maybe; it heavily depends on if he is hampered down by managerial forces. If he is allowed to fully be himself, it would not be surprising to see a strong tally in the win column for the 1 team.
Daytona 500 Outlook
Last year, Ross Chastain looked to have a shot to bring home the Harley J Earl Trophy. Exiting turn 4 while heading to the white flag, Chastain made his move to grab the lead. Unfortunately, Corey LaJoie made contact and spun Chastain into the tri-oval grass. Instead of glory, Chastain ended the race with a wrecked car. Out of his 13 Daytona starts, this was his best shot at winning.
While Chastain has had limited success at Daytona, he runs well at the other superspeedways. Surely that success could translate to his Daytona efforts, as winning the Daytona 500 ranks highly for the Florida native. Qualifying and the duels have done little to give Chastain quality starting positions. However, he has managed to lead at least 6 laps in 3 of his past 4 Daytona starts. Maybe not a name that immediately comes to mind for a Daytona 500 winner, but Chastain could be a good dark horse pick.
Days to Daytona Countdown
40 Days: Team Penske #22; 39 Days: Team Penske #12; 38 Days: Hendrick #24;
37 Days: 23XI Racing #45; 36 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #20;
35 Days: Hendrick Motorsports #5; 34 Days: Hendrick Motorsports #9
33 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #11, 32 Days: Henrick Motorsports #48;
31 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #19; 30 Days: Team Penske #2;
29 Days: Trackhouse Racing #99; 28 Days: RFK Racing #6;
27 Days: Trackhouse Racing #88; 26 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #54;
25 Days: Wood Brothers Racing #21; 24 Days: RFK Racing #17;
23 Days: 23XI Racing #23
