Trackhouse Racing drivers Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen finished the Cup Series race at Gateway on Sunday in 24th and 25th places, respectively. After the race, both drivers rode through the grass multiple times while coming to the pit road. This stirred up a lot of debris and dirt.
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Gateway does not have a paved apron like many other ovals on the schedule. So, cars often drive off the groove and end up in the grass. But fans weren’t willing to accept this as an honest mistake from the drivers. Many called it cheating.
The reason for that was the solid evidence that the in-car cameras provided. “Cheating just to be mid all race.” A second said, “Gotta break the diffuser to pass tech,” wrote a fan.
Another added, “Doing clownery just to be midpack.” One fan accused, “They’re trying to pick up as much dirt/debris as they can before rolling over the scales.”
The Trackhouse cars did pass the post-race inspection. However, there are reasons for this doubt that fans expressed. There was a time in the sport when drivers used to do burnouts just to crash their quarter panels.
They’re trying to pick up as much dirt/debris as they can before rolling over the scales.
— Jeff Bluck-Gianchi (@Jeff_Bluck) September 8, 2025
What Chastain and van Gisbergen might have intended to do by driving through the debris is to pick up weight. It might not have accounted for much, but with how narrow the differences are in motorsports, every tiny bit could help.
Alan Gustafson, for instance, had instructed Chase Elliott in Darlington last week to pick up as much rubber as he could during the cool-down lap. Formula 1 teams have a habit of doing this, and it is pretty normal in that part of town.
In NASCAR, though, it is something that’s frowned upon. For as long as stock car racing has existed, teams and drivers have been attempting to find loopholes to explore between the lines of the rule book to create advantages that don’t exist. The trend continues in 2025 as well.
Both Chastain and Van Gisbergen are a part of the ongoing playoffs. Chastain sits in 11th place, 19 points above the playoff elimination line, while the New Zealander is in 14th place, 15 points below the playoff elimination line. They both have one final shot in Bristol to confirm their seats for the Round of 12.
