Chastain On Round Of 12: ‘We’re Not Giving Up On The Goal’

CONCORD, N.C. – In visiting with reporters Wednesday at NASCAR Productions, Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain made it clear that his team has work to do in order to get through the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

It was an interesting look into the mindset of the Alva, Fla., native going into the first race of the Round of 12, Sunday’s Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Considering Chastain has finished top 10 in three of the last four Cup Series races at the ‘Magic Mile’, it would seem like a positive place to start for his No. 1 Chevrolet team.

But Chastain isn’t so sure that’s the case, despite the fact that earlier this year he got to participate in a tire test at NHMS in advance of the playoffs.

Where does he feel Trackhouse’s flat track program is at currently?

“A half track behind, honestly,” he said bluntly. “That’s why the test was so important. We already knew the [playoff] schedule, so we knew if we made it through the first round that we’d be staring down three pretty tricky, pretty different racetracks. [Loudon] being the first one of those, we definitely made our car drive better [during the test]. I don’t know that we made it any faster, but it definitely drove better throughout those two days and the changes we were allowed to make.

“We’ll just see where we are now when we get there this weekend.”

Chastain hopes, however, that he can apply what he learned during the tire test to Sunday’s Cup race.

“I take full advantage of it,” he said regarding the testing opportunity. “Goodyear lays out two days in the event of weather, in case they need to expedite things, but we had a full two days to work on things … so for me the important thing was to run all the laps.

“We had a couple of [tire] tests earlier in the year where the Chevy car crashed, and we lost out on time and data, so goal number one was just to make sure we got all the information we could. I came close to crashing a couple of times, but I didn’t!”

With a weathered surface opening up options at the flat, 1.058-mile oval, Chastain tipped he was able to try different racing lines in testing in an effort to learn as much as possible.

“I know we’ve got OTD at the tracks, but you just don’t have another set of tires and practice to go out and back-to-back things,” he said. “Loudon is so unique with all the bumps and grooves, and the seams are so wide that there’s a lot to try and a lot to understand out of that.”

If there is any solace, as mentioned, Chastain has those three top 10s at NHMS. One came with the former Chip Ganassi Racing team and the other two have been with Trackhouse.

Current teammate Daniel Suarez also finished in the top 10 in the 2022 race at Loudon.

But that doesn’t mean the Round of 12 is a walk in the park, since Loudon is followed by races at Kansas Speedway – where Chastain did win last year despite being out of the playoffs – and at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL.

Is this is the toughest round for him, in Chastain’s view?

“It’s a good question,” he admitted. “The [Loudon tire] test has me encouraged by what I felt at the end of the test compared to the beginning of the test and the direction that we went in for that. From New Hampshire, obviously we head to Kansas, and we know we have a lot of potential there after winning that race last year even though we weren’t in the playoffs.

“Then at the ROVAL, I just need to be close to Shane [van Gisbergen, Chastain’s teammate]. I think he’s going to be the best driver there, and my car is built the same as his, so I’ve got to be closer [on speed] than I have been there in the past,” Chastain continued. “I don’t think it’s the hardest round, necessarily, but if we don’t execute or don’t have speed in the cars, then we’re not going to make it through to the Round of 8.

“You can’t afford a mulligan at this point in the year.”

One might think last year’s Kansas breakthrough gives Chastain extra confidence or emphasis on the middle race in this year’s Round of 12, but the now-veteran thinks each of the three tracks gives him different ways to capitalize.

“I view all three races in this round as chances for us, each for their own reasons. New Hampshire, because of the test, and Kansas because it’s a mile-and-a-half and how we’ve done at that style of racetrack recently,” Chastain said. “As far as the ROVAL goes, if I can replicate what Shane does … and be within five seconds or so of him, then I should be in second [place] by the end of that one.

“That would put us in a decent spot, I feel like, if we’re consistent all the way through. But we won’t know until we reach that point.”

With van Gisbergen eliminated from the playoffs, Chastain was asked if that means there will be a more “concerted effort” on the No. 1 car for as long as he stays in the playoffs.

Chastain disagreed, however, wishing that team owner Justin Marks still had two shots at a title this season.

“We can’t try any harder, whether all three cars were in or all three cars were out,” he said. “Everything in me wanted the [No.] 88 [of van Gisbergen] to still be in contention and the company to have two shots at a Cup championship instead of one.

“But we’re not giving up on the goal.”

Chastain enters the Round of 12 11th in the standings, two points below the cut line and with everything to play for as he chases a first Cup Series title.

Broadcast coverage of the Mobil 1 301 from Loudon airs Sunday, Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. ET, live on USA, the Performance Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.