Ross Chastain has faced his share of setbacks over the past two seasons. Back in 2023, Rick Hendrick openly warned him of payback if he continued wrecking his drivers. That threat had come after Chastain had wrecked Kyle Larson three times in four races.
Advertisement
He’s still working on regaining his footing on the track. But Chastain feels even that patch were he seemed to be getting into crashes almost every other race wasn’t the most trying period of his life. For the Trackhouse Racing driver, the real test had come earlier, in 2019.
Reflecting during the 12 Questions segment with Jeff Gluck, Chastain talked about the toughest chapter he’s had to navigate in life: the fallout from the DC Solar scandal.
Back in 2019, the FBI raided the home of DC Solar’s CEO, who had been one of Chastain’s biggest advocates. Chastain had driven three races in a DC Solar-sponsored car in 2018, winning one, which helped him land a full-time seat for 2019.
But just days before the new year, Chip Ganassi Racing pulled the plug on its Xfinity program, leaving him without a ride. For Chastain, who had struggled for years with underfunded cars, this was a tough blow. The fallout of his Xfinity Series ride with Chip Ganassi Racing after the sponsor’s downfall impacted him badly.
Didn’t handle it well
Chastain admitted he didn’t take the news well at first. “Initially, I was probably not very proud, because I didn’t handle it very well for the first couple weeks,” he said, recalling how he jumped in his truck and drove back to North Carolina, needing time to let it sink in. It wasn’t until January 2 that he drew a line in the sand and told himself, “I’m gonna go keep doing this.”
Upon returning to CGR’s shop after the holiday break, he was met with an outpouring of support. From the shop floor to upper management, everyone reassured him he wasn’t done yet. “Hey, you’re going to be back in a race car for us,” they told him.
Though it didn’t happen overnight, Chastain eventually found his way back. In 2020, he ran five races in the No. 77 car for Spire Motorsports. By 2021, he had earned a full-time Cup Series seat with Chip Ganassi Racing.
It took time, but they made good on that promise.
