NASCAR: 5 possible Trackhouse Racing drivers for 2022
By Randy Smith
Possible 2022 Trackhouse Racing drivers: No. 4 – Ross Chastain
With Trackhouse acquiring Chip Ganassi Racing, both current in-house drivers will definitely be options for them to look at when making a decision about their second driver for next year. Justin Marks has confirmed this.
Marks said Kurt Busch and Ross Chastain are top candidates for the second car in 2022. Said they will talk to RCR about how any potential alliance looks like. Will continue using the Hendrick/ECR engine.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 30, 2021
When acquiring a new business, it’s always smart to look at the employees already there, and NASCAR teams should not be excluded from that, specifically when it comes to the drivers.
With Ross Chastain, who currently drives the #42 Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing, Trackhouse would inherit a driver younger than any other option mentioned, and he could be a solid teammate for Daniel Suarez for Trackhouse to build around for the future.
Chastain has recently begun to show his potential in the Cup Series as well. He started his tenure in the #42 Chevrolet nicely with a seventh place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, but he struggled after that, recording no finishes higher than 14th in the next 12 races.
But this changed when NASCAR visited Circuit of the Americas, where he earned his first career top five finish with a fourth place result. He went on to finish in seventh at Sonoma Raceway and a career-high second at Nashville Superspeedeway.
Inconsistencies and aggressive driving have resulted in some poor finishes for Chastain, however. Most recently, he got out of the groove and tagged the wall at Pocono Raceway, resulting in a spin at the next turn. Things such as this could lead Trackhouse to turn away from Chastain.
However, his upside, strong runs, youth and familiarity with the Chip Ganassi Racing program could help to make his case as a potential second driver for Trackhouse. Like Marks himself said, Chastain is already a top candidate for the ride.
It won’t be an easy decision for Trackhouse to make; signing a new driver for a newer team never is. But if Trackhouse are really considering signing a Chip Ganassi Racing driver, Chastain is definitely one of the top contenders to drive the second car.