Ross Chastain was one of the busiest drivers on the field in 2018. He alternated between driving for Premium Motorsports, Chip Ganassi Racing, and JD Motorsports in all three NASCAR national series. In a recent interview with The Athletic, he spoke about how he had to adjust himself to suit the time demands that came into his job during this period of hustle.
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Back then, when life was much simpler, Chastain used to drive his truck to race venues. He had the time to do so since there wasn’t a whole lot for him to do on the weekdays. “In 2018, I went to Kentucky, then New Hampshire, then Dover and blew out two tires on the truck,” he narrated. “It broke the belts and the rear tires on the truck I had because the camper was so heavy.”
Things got different once he got to Chip Ganassi’s garage. He was required to show up for SIM sessions early on Monday morning and prep stuff for other drivers. Chastain sacrificed sleep as a result, not wanting to let go of the habit of driving himself to tracks. He continued, “So, I pulled a couple of all-nighters after running the No. 15 car in Cup and the No. 4 car in Xfinity and whatever truck I was in.”
“I would drive all Sunday night and drive straight to the (simulator), park outside, shower, and then go in chugging coffee.” He soon realized that this wasn’t something he could keep doing and still perform at his best on the track. He eventually sold his camper and began flying with the rest of his team just to have the luxury of getting six hours of sleep.
“I don’t have the Monday 7 a.m. session anymore — which is a hierarchy, pecking order thing,” he quipped, happily. “I get to choose (the time) now, and younger guys have those (early sessions) for us.” Chastain is currently one of the most important pieces of the puzzle that Trackhouse Racing needs to solve in its bid to be a Cup Series powerhouse.
He is on the verge of making it into the playoffs for the third straight time and whether he does so will come down to his performance in the upcoming Southern 500. He is 27 points below the playoff elimination line heading to Darlington. Life may not be as quiet and peaceful as it used to be, but Chastain is not one to complain at the opportunity of marking his legacy in racing history.
