Justin Marks: Being a Popular NASCAR Driver Is the Greatest Gift to Yourself, Your Team, and the Sport

Trackhouse Racing has turned into one of the most notable teams in the NASCAR Cup Series despite its young age. Founded in 2020, the team led by Justin Marks has introduced great initiatives such as Project 91 to not only increase its own popularity but also that of the sport on a global stage. In a recent interview, Marks spoke about the same and the importance of driver popularity.

The topic came under discussion after the host mentioned the immense love that Ross Chastain garners from fans at every race track he goes to. The No. 1 driver makes it a point to go around the venue, meeting fans and signing autographs for them. Marks said that it is a gift to any organization to have such a driver who takes steps to engage with fans without being pushed to do so.

He continued, “As a business, one of the expectations that we have for our drivers is to push themselves to be a popular athlete in this sport because only good comes from it.

“If you can be deeply engaged with the fans, if you can have a great personal relationship with the fans and make yourself available and just increase your popularity, it’s a tide that raises everybody in the boat.”

He believes that the only way for a driver to give back to the hundreds of people who work at a race organization is by being impactful not only on the track, but off the track as well. Chastain, Daniel Suarez, and Shane van Gisbergen are all individuals who understand this vision and the sensibility behind it very clearly. Marks, rightfully, is immensely grateful for that. 

Trackhouse Racing has taken several steps to become more relatable to the fans. For instance, it has a different race win celebration for each driver. This helps create a unique identity for each of them. Its Project 91 initiative is also what set the ball rolling for the ongoing impact of foreign drivers coming over to take part in the Cup Series on an occasional basis.

The impressive aspect of its marketing newness is that it hasn’t come at the cost of performance. The team finds two of its drivers, Chastain and van Gisbergen, in the Round of 16 of the ongoing Cup Series playoffs. Connor Zilisch, the hottest prospect in the Xfinity Series, is all set to join the Cup ranks soon. In all probability, Trackhouse could emerge as a top championship-contending team in 2026.