When the opportunity to drive for the Trackhouse Racing opened up, Ross Chastain spent little time letting the team owner Justin Marks know his feelings.
Trackhouse Racing purchased Chip Ganassi Racing, Chastain’s current team. effective from the end of this season. When the new organization let the world know that they would be running two full-time Cup teams from 2022, one position was up for grabs beside Daniel Suarez.
With Chastain without a ride for the 2022 season, he quickly jumped to the opportunity and even got it.
“When the acquisition happened, I told Justin, I just texted him, and said, ‘I want this.’ It was just simple. I didn’t ask anybody. I didn’t confer with anybody,” Chastain said. “I knew Justin on that level, and I wanted it.
“It took a little bit of working through the process, but I know for myself, and I think I speak for Justin, that we wanted it and whether or not it all worked out, we had to work through all the other stuff.
“But fundamentally, down at the core of it, I knew that this was where I wanted to be.”
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Days like today are what dreams are made of, and I cannot wait to climb behind the wheel of the No. 1 @TeamTrackhouse @chevrolet starting at the 2022 Daytona 500! pic.twitter.com/Img0VoN1xt
— Ross Chastain (@RossChastain) August 3, 2021
But, the quick signing was due to Marks’ admiration for the driver, who he believes is capable of winning races if he had race-winning equipment. Additionally, the owner plans to build the team around Chastain.
“That’s the talent and the skill that is independent of just how fast you can go. There are a lot of guys who have sat in real fast stuff and not figured out how to close,” Marks said. “We’ve got two winners on this race team now, two closers on this race team.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Ross. We’ve got somebody that can be a part of this company for a long time. I’m excited to offer Ross what I think is probably his first multi-year contract in his NASCAR career and it’s a way for us to show that we’re committed to him.
“We’re building this team around him, and I’m excited for the future.”
Chastain has recorded his career-best Cup Series finish of second at Nashville this season and is still in contention to make the playoffs.