Ross Chastain sits 20th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings after the opening stretch of the 2026 season. The Trackhouse Racing driver has shown speed in spurts, logging a top five and a stage win, but the start of the year has also brought failure in parts and penalties on pit road that have kept the No. 1 team from stacking maximum points.
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Chastain’s schedule extends well beyond Sundays. He will take the wheel in eight races for Niece Motorsports in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, while also running four events for Jordan Anderson Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The added track time is aimed at keeping him in the thick of competition, giving him more track time, ahead of the main event on Sunday.
This week, the focus shifts to Phoenix Raceway, where the IndyCar Series joins NASCAR for a joint event billed as the “Desert Double” from March 6–8, 2026. The race will be IndyCar’s return to the oval for the first time since 2018, placing stock cars and open-wheel machines at the same venue.
Chastain said he looks forward to crossing paths with the IndyCar paddock, with one slight caveat. He said, “I’m looking forward to seeing the people, but I’m not excited for the probably confusing feeling we’ll have with their rubber versus our rubber. I was fully ingrained in IndyCar from 2018 to 2021 as a development driver for Chip Ganassi Racing.”
During that stretch, he spent time with the team at events and tests in Sebring, building ties across the garage, some of which include headline IndyCar figures such as Scott Dixon and Alex Palou.
Chastain previews upcoming stretch of NASCAR events
“I feel like Phoenix, Vegas, Darlington, and Martinsville, that’s a month snapshot there of the season because there is a mix of everything. The points won’t reflect it, but those four weeks, if you bookmark them, I think you get a good snapshot of who’s the best right now,” Chastain said of future events on the west coast swing, touching on how upcoming weekends could reveal which drivers and teams have the most pace.
Inside the No. 1 garage, Chastain has also begun working with crew chief Brandon McSwain, who stepped into the role for the 2026 season after Phil Surgen moved on. The driver said the two are ironing out the language used over the radio while settling into a rhythm. Away from the car, the partnership has come together without friction. The remaining task lies in syncing communication during races as McSwain settles into the seat atop the pit box.
Through the opening races, Chastain said the new crew chief has handled the job well, and the team continues to work through the details as the season progresses. It remains to be seen how well Chastain can adapt to the Chase format after being quite successful in the previous elimination-style points system.
