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Ross Chastain is off to a hot start with two top-10 finishes and one top-five in the first two races of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. Now, he has explained his fast start.
The driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro provided the insight prior to the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He explained to reporters that there are two main factors. One is the equipment in his control and the other is the team surrounding him.
“It starts with this car,” Chastain said during his press conference at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “I can’t overlook what this new car — not-so-new anymore — has done for the series and our team in particular. We’ve been able to build off the foundation that was CGR and grow it into what we are now. It’s wild.
“Rolling into this year, we’re not resting on what we accomplished last year. Nothing is guaranteed in this sport and in life, so there’s nothing more clear than 235 feet painted in front of Trackhouse where Justin wanted to remind us daily how close we were. We’re working — all of us — in our respective jobs to close that 235 feet to zero.”
The 235 feet that Chastain referenced is a new addition to the Trackhouse Racing shop. Owner Justin Marks had the number 235 painted on the road up to the team’s checkered flag logo. This represents the distance that Chastain fell short of winning the Cup Series championship in 2022. It has been a motivation for the entire organization as every person involved prepared for the 2023 season.
The Early Portion of 2022 Featured Struggles
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GettyRoss Chastain prepares for a race at Daytona International Speedway.
The fast start in 2023 is a change from the first two races in 2022. Chastain entered his first season at Trackhouse Racing with the goal of putting himself into contention for wins. However, he finished last in the Daytona 500 and 29th at Auto Club Speedway after he spun in the final stage.
These struggles led to a sitdown with the boss. Chastain and Marks had lunch together at a restaurant near the Trackhouse Racing facility, but it was not a particularly enjoyable experience for the driver of the No. 1.
“It was not the most pleasant lunch, I’ll be honest,” Chastain added. “I did text him this week on Tuesday and said I was happy we weren’t having our second annual post-Auto Club lunch. I went and ate there by myself just to do it and for the reminder that it could be that again. It could be not as good as we have it right now and to enjoy the moment.
“The circumstances around eating on the Tuesday after Auto Club one year apart was a total 180,” Chastain continued. “[Marks] did a lot of talking last year and I did a lot of listening. I didn’t have a lot of answers for him then, but we went back to work and started getting the ship righted. So I was really happy this year when I sat there alone and got to enjoy my lunch and then go back to work at the shop.”
The Lunch Was the Spark Chastain Needed
This meal was not pleasant for Chastain, but it had a major effect on his season. He went from finishing 29th at Auto Club Speedway to finishing third at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, second at Phoenix Raceway, and second at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Chastain finally achieved a career goal after the trip to Atlanta Motor Speedway. He won his first career Cup Series race during the weekend at Circuit of the Americas, and he put himself into the playoffs.
Chastain went on to reach the championship four during a season in which he had 21 top-10 finishes, 15 top-fives, and two wins. He ultimately finished second in the championship standings behind Joey Logano. Fast-forward to the 2023 season, and he is off to a much faster start.
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