NASCAR: 5 Xfinity Series drivers poised for future Cup moves
By Asher Fair
Xfinity Series drivers poised for Cup moves: Ross Chastain
Ross Chastain almost doesn’t count since he has competed in the NASCAR Cup Series since the 2017 season and he was a full-time driver in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, and he has already been confirmed by Chip Ganassi Racing as the driver of the #42 Chevrolet in the Cup Series next year.
But let’s take a look at his profile anyway.
He has competed in several Cup Series races so far this season, as he drove for Spire Motorsports with support from Chip Ganassi Racing in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway and then again in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He also filled in for the injured Ryan Newman at Roush Fenway Racing for three races.
But Chastain’s full-time Cup Series rides in the past have been with Premium Motorsports, and he has never been points eligible. He has competed full-time in either the Truck Series or the Xfinity Series for the last six years.
After finishing runner-up in the 2019 Truck Series championship standings, he landed a full-time ride with Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series this season.
Matt Kaulig’s team may not be quite on the level of Joe Gibbs Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing or JR Motorsports, but Chastain has been impressive early on, even after failing to qualify his primary car in the season opener. He finished the regular season in third place in the championship standings with 13 top five finishes, a series-best 23 top 10 finishes and an average finish of 7.9.
Chastain had a deal to compete full-time for Chip Ganassi Racing in the Xfinity Series last season after an impressive three-race stint for the team late in the 2018 season when he was still under contract with JD Motorsports. But due to a chaotic sponsorship debacle, Chip Ganassi was forced to shutter the team’s operations.
However, Chastain remained tied to Ganassi’s organization, as indicated by his Ganassi-supported effort with Spire Motorsports for the Daytona 500, and that paid off.
Kyle Larson, who had been considered one of the top pending free agents on the market, lost his ride with Chip Ganassi Racing after using the N-word. It was first believed that Chastain could become a full-time Cup Series driver as soon as 2020, but the team opted to sign 2003 champion Matt Kenseth for the rest of the season instead.
With that being said, Chastain was always still in good position for the seat in 2021. Chip Ganassi even confirmed that he still has plans for the Watermelon Man, and now we know he does.