Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Ross Chastain

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Ross Chastain made an impact.

Ross Chastain is a professional stock car racing driver currently competing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for Trackhouse Racing, driving the No. 1 Chevrolet ZL1. He also participates part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports. Chastain is the older brother of fellow NASCAR driver Chad Chastain.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1995: Dale Jarrett Disqualified

In 1995, Dale Jarrett was disqualified from a Busch Series race.

2011: Late Model Racing Success

In 2011, Ross Chastain achieved considerable success in short track racing, including the Limited Late Model portion of the World Series Of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway, winning three of eight events in the series. He made a move to Charlotte in mid-2011.

2011: Truck Series Debut

In mid-2011, Ross Chastain debuted in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with Turn One Racing at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, finishing 10th. He participated in four more races, sponsored by connections in the watermelon farming industry, and at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he ran a full race after his team bought an RSS Racing start.

2012: Rookie of the Year Run

In 2012, Ross Chastain competed for Rookie of the Year honors with SS-Green Light Racing. He achieved a career-best finish of seventh at Martinsville Speedway and later improved upon it with a third-place finish at Bristol.

January 2013: Joins Brad Keselowski Racing

In January 2013, it was announced that Ross Chastain would drive in 15 Camping World Truck Series races for Brad Keselowski Racing in 2013. He sought a Team Penske ride, but BKR and Penske did not view it that way.

2014: Nationwide Series Debut

In 2014, Ross Chastain debuted in the Nationwide Series (now Xfinity Series) at Charlotte Motor Speedway, driving for Viva Motorsports. He also drove for Hattori Racing Enterprises at Michigan International Speedway, finishing twelfth. Additionally, he participated in a part-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series East effort that year.

2015: Joins JD Motorsports

In 2015, Ross Chastain joined JD Motorsports, replacing Jeffrey Earnhardt. He achieved four top-ten finishes and had an altercation with Ryan Reed after a race at Richmond International Raceway.

September 2017: Returns to JD Motorsports

In late September 2017, Ross Chastain announced that he would return to JD Motorsports for a fourth year, running the entire 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, as well as hinting at another part-time Cup schedule with Premium Motorsports.

2017: Best Xfinity Season

In 2017, Ross Chastain had the best Xfinity season of his career, achieving a top-five finish at Iowa and two top-ten finishes. He finished 13th in points, the highest of the non-playoff drivers, and consistently finished within the top twenty in the second half of the season.

2017: Cup Series Debut

In 2017, Ross Chastain made his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover, driving Premium Motorsports' No. 15 car and finishing 20th. He also drove the No. 15 at the fall Dover race, finishing 38th.

October 6, 2018: Agreement to Drive for Premium Motorsports in 2019

On October 6, 2018, it was reported that Ross Chastain had agreed to drive the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season with Premium Motorsports, and a deal with Chip Ganassi Racing for more Xfinity races was likely.

November 9, 2018: Full Season with Chip Ganassi Racing

On November 9, 2018, Ross Chastain and CGR announced a full season in the No. 42 Xfinity Series car for 2019 with DC Solar as the sponsor.

2018: Joins Chip Ganassi Racing for Three Races

In 2018, Ross Chastain and Chip Ganassi Racing announced a three-race agreement for Chastain to pilot the organization's No. 42 entry at Darlington Raceway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Richmond Raceway. DC Solar was a backer. During the Darlington race, Chastain was battling for the lead when he made contact with Kevin Harvick, leading to a heated exchange and controversy.

2018: Expanded Cup Schedule and Truck Series Return

In 2018, Ross Chastain expanded his Cup schedule to include all race weekends where the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series ran at the same track. He also returned to the truck series at Iowa, driving for Beaver Motorsports. At the Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio, Chastain and Joey Gase had an incident that led to a pit road confrontation. Chastain hopped in the Premium Motorsports No. 15 truck for the World of Westgate 200 and finished seventh.

2018: Joins Niece Motorsports

Towards the latter part of the 2018 season, Ross Chastain joined Niece Motorsports for some NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, expressing his belief in the organization's potential.

January 2019: Joins Niece Motorsports and Kaulig Racing

In January 2019, Ross Chastain joined Niece Motorsports to drive part-time in the Truck Series and Kaulig Racing for three Xfinity races. In his first race with Niece, he finished third. At his first ever Daytona 500, Chastain scored his first career top-ten in the Cup Series with a 10th place finish.

May 10, 2019: First Truck Series Win

On May 10, 2019, Ross Chastain won his first career NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race in the 2019 Digital Ally 250 at Kansas Speedway. He almost spun out but saved the truck and inherited the lead.

October 15, 2019: Chastain to Drive Full-Time for Kaulig Racing in 2020

On October 15, 2019, it was announced that Ross Chastain would drive full-time for Kaulig Racing in the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series.

2019: Xfinity and Truck Series Points Switch

In 2019, Ross Chastain began racing for Xfinity Series points but switched to Truck Series points before the SpeedyCash.com 400 at Texas.

2019: Second Place Finish at Texas Motor Speedway

In 2019, Ross Chastain finished second to Christopher Bell at Texas Motor Speedway, leading 29 laps.

2019: Chastain Wins Circle K Firecracker 250 and Pocono Raceway

In 2019, Ross Chastain won the Circle K Firecracker 250 at Daytona driving for Kaulig Racing. Later in 2019, Chastain won at Pocono Raceway in the Truck Series, dedicating the win to Nick Harrison.

February 19, 2020: Chastain Replaces Injured Ryan Newman

On February 19, 2020, Ross Chastain was announced as the replacement driver for an injured Ryan Newman in the Roush Fenway Racing No. 6 Ford, starting with the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas.

September 21, 2020: Chastain to Drive for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021

On September 21, 2020, Chip Ganassi Racing announced that Ross Chastain would be the driver of the No. 42 Chevrolet in 2021, replacing Matt Kenseth.

2020: Cup Series and Truck Series Plans

In 2020, Ross Chastain returned to the Cup Series, driving the No. 77, and retained his ride with Niece Motorsports in the Truck Series, moving to the No. 44 entry.

June 30, 2021: Trackhouse Racing Purchases Chip Ganassi Racing

On June 30, 2021, Justin Marks announced that Trackhouse Racing had purchased Chip Ganassi Racing's NASCAR operations, making Chastain a free agent.

August 3, 2021: Chastain Joins Trackhouse Racing

On August 3, 2021, it was revealed that Ross Chastain would drive the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing in a multi-year deal starting in 2022.

2021: Seventh-Place Finish and Viral Video

In 2021, Ross Chastain began his Cup tenure with Ganassi with a seventh-place finish in the Daytona 500. During a rain delay, he was featured in a viral video ordering food at a McDonald's drive-through.

2021: Career-High Finish in Xfinity Standings

In 2021, Ross Chastain finished a career-high 7th in the Xfinity standings with 27 top tens and 15 top fives, despite not winning a race.

2021: Playoffs streak ends in 2024

In 2024, Ross Chastain would miss the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

2022: Multi-Year Deal Begins

In 2022, Ross Chastain began driving the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing under a multi-year deal.

2022: "Hail Melon" Move at Martinsville

In 2022, Ross Chastain qualified for the Championship 4 at Martinsville Speedway by driving his car into the outside wall on the last lap, achieving unprecedented speed and finishing in fifth place with the "Hail Melon" move.

2022: First Cup Win and Career-Best Finish

In 2022, Ross Chastain scored his first career cup win at the Circuit of the Americas and finished a career-best second place in the points standings. He also had a controversial finish at the Indianapolis road course and finished 22nd at the NASCAR All-Star Race after a collision.

2023: 2023 Season Summary

In 2023, Ross Chastain started with a ninth-place finish at the Daytona 500, had an altercation with Noah Gragson, won at Nashville, was eliminated from the Round of 12, and won the season finale at Phoenix, finishing ninth in the points standings.

2024: 2024 Season Update

In 2024, Ross Chastain started with a 21st place finish at the Daytona 500, went winless in the regular season, and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2021, but won at Kansas during the playoffs. Following the Martinsville playoff race, Chastain was penalized for race manipulation.