NASCAR: 5 teams that could buy a Stewart-Haas Racing charter
By Randy Smith
No. 4 - Trackhouse Racing Team
Trackhouse Racing Team have quietly become one of the flagship Chevrolet teams in NASCAR throughout their first three-plus seasons in the sport. Much like 23XI Racing, they are a team that have become a competitive force on the race track with veteran drivers.
Fielding the No. 1 Chevrolet and No. 99 Chevrolet, the team owned by Justin Marks and Grammy Award-winning artist Pitbull has been the home of all six career wins for Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez in the Cup Series, all since 2022.
Furthermore, the team made the Championship 4 in only their second season in 2022 after Chastain made history with his now banned ''Hail Melon'' move at Martinsville Speedway. While Chastain wasn't in the Championship 4 in 2023, he went on to win the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, becoming the first non-championship-eligible driver to win the title decider in 10 years.
This season, Trackhouse Racing Team have already picked up a win at Atlanta Motor Speedway with Suarez. But the team's success extends beyond their two full-time drivers as well. In 2022, the team began fielding a part-time car through a program they call PROJECT91.
Formula 1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen drove the car at Watkins Glen International in 2022 and at Circuit of the Americas in 2023. Then at the Chicago Street Course, Australian Supercars legend Shane van Gisbergen piloted the No. 91 Chevrolet to victory lane, making him the first Cup Series driver to win on debut in six decades.
If Trackhouse Racing Team want to turn PROJECT91 into a full-time ride, buying a charter would be in their best interest, and they could have the opportunity to do so from Stewart-Haas Racing.
Even outside of PROJECT91, Trackhouse Racing Team are currently leasing Zane Smith to Spire Motorsports and will have to figure out a full-time home for him in 2025. Furthermore, they recently signed young phenom Connor Zilisch to a development deal. Marks has expressed his desire to have at least a three-car team in 2025, and expanding via the charter system is the safest bet.