NASCAR might be on a break but that’s not keeping Ross Chastain away from racing. The driver of the #1 Chevrolet in the Cup Series will be making his IMSA debut this weekend at Road America. NASCAR used to visit the track in the past but the advent of the Chicago Street Race saw the Wisconsin road course get the axe. Chastain however referred to the 4-mile-long venue as one of his favorites to drive on.
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The Trackhouse Racing star will make a switch from a Chevrolet racecar to an Aston Martin as he will be driving the #16 Skip Barber Racing School AM Vantage GT4. The Skip Barber Racing School is legendary in American motorsports as it has produced several fantastic race car drivers over the years. Chastain used to be one of them. Others include the likes of Jimmie Johnson, Michael McDowell, John Hunter Nemechek, and Erik Jones. Speaking to the media ahead of his IMSA debut, the ‘Melon Man’ shared his love for Road America.
I can’t wait to make my first ever @IMSA start this upcoming weekend at @roadamerica with @SkipBarberRS! To celebrate, they’re giving away a unique VIP package that includes a meet & greet, access to IMSA’s VIP Club, and more. Check it out & enter! ⬇️https://t.co/81NWScAxAo pic.twitter.com/y4uMW84ULo
— Ross Chastain (@RossChastain) July 31, 2024
“That’s why I wanted to come do this was to get more laps here and see the repave. We don’t really come here with NASCAR anymore so…it’s my favorite race track road course-wise in the world that I have ever been on” he told a reporter at the venue.
The 31-year-old has had good results on the track in the Cup Series. He finished P7 during the 2021 race and P4 in 2022. While there is a huge difference between the NASCAR and IMSA cars, Chastain will be hoping to get used to how it drives sooner rather than later. It will be intriguing to see how he adapts to the new environment.
Chastain has a good relationship with Skip Barber
One of the reasons why the driver of the #1 Cup Series car is participating in the event is the Skip Barber Racing School. It used to sponsor the Florida native back during his Truck and Xfinity Series days.
He and Skip Barber also work together in campaigns promoting road safety called ‘Protect your Melons’, an obvious reference to Chastain’s past as a watermelon farmer. He might not compete regularly in IMSA but the #1 Chevy Camaro driver aligns with the legacy of the organization.
“I have been a customer of Skip Barber Racing School and to now race with their IMSA team makes total sense. Dan and Anthony DeMonte run the premier racing school in the country, so hopefully I can have a good showing for them during one of our NASCAR off-weekends. I always appreciate the additional track time,” Chastain told IMSA.
Often touted as one of the most aggressive drivers on the NASCAR Cup Series field, it remains to be seen how his on-track moves pan out within a different field of drivers.
