Ross Chastain Makes Honest Admission About the Time When an FBI Raid Led His Xfinity Team to Be Shut Down

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.

He’s still working on regaining his footing on the track. But Chastain feels that even that patch where 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.

While the law enforcement agency confirmed executing search warrants at Jeff Carpoff’s (DC Solar CEO) residence, the reasons were not disclosed. However, he and his wife, Paulette, later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, resulting in Jeff being sentenced to 30 years in prison.

But just days before the new year, Chip Ganassi Racing, as a result, 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.

Chastain didn’t handle it well

The current Trackhouse Racing full-time driver 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.

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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