In the past week, two major crew chief announcements for next season shook the NASCAR world: Trackhouse Racing hiring Randall Burnett to work with Connor Zilisch, and former Cup Series champion Rodney Childers moving to JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series to work with Zilisch and Carson Kvapil.
Both are high-quality crew chiefs who were in desperate need of a fresh start. Both also would have been perfect fits for one driver who has become one of the biggest wasted talents in the sport.
For Ross Chastain, the truth is now crystal clear: if he is going to realize his full potential, he needs to get away from Trackhouse.
Amid Connor Zilisch's rise, Trackhouse neglected their biggest star
Landing a proven winner in Burnett is ideal for Zilisch and Trackhouse. It also speaks to the fact that, immediately upon entering the Cup Series full-time next year, the 19-year-old phenom is already set to be a top priority for Justin Marks' organization, and understandably so. He's the most promising prospect NASCAR has seen in at least a generation, potentially ever.
But Zilisch isn't the only Trackhouse driver who could have used a splash atop the pit box. Ever since taking the NASCAR world by storm in 2022, Chastain's No. 1 team has been in a steady decline.
Despite the fact that he's still alive in the Cup Series playoffs (though likely not for much longer), the "Melon Man" has only three top finishes, eight other top 10 finishes, and 72 laps led in 2025. Those are all on pace to be his lowest marks in four years with the organization.
That's not all necessarily crew chief Phil Surgen's fault, but it feels like Trackhouse could aim higher. Thankfully, Childers just happened to be waiting on the unemployment line.
The 40-time Cup Series race-winning crew chief would have been the absolute perfect fit for Chastain, a driver whose crafty racing style and blue-collar persona draws some striking similarities to Childers' former longtime driver Kevin Harvick.
Instead, though, Trackhouse let Childers get snagged up by JR Motorsports, which feels like a waste, especially considering team he's set to oversee is to be split between two drivers (including Zilisch). So the rookie is essentially getting to work with two hugely useful fresh voices in his ear to help boost him into stardom as quickly as possible, while the veteran in his prime is left toiling away.
Again, it's understandable to put all the eggs into Zilisch's basket. He's the shiny new toy. He's a driver whose star power could transcend the sport if he lives up to his billing. Trackhouse also still have Shane van Gisbergen to take care of, and he might be the best road course racer to ever grace the Cup Series. But all of this leaves Chastain in a position that's far from ideal.
Aside from road courses, Trackhouse's cars haven't been very fast for two years now. At 32, Chastain can't afford to wait around for them to find their 2022 speed again, and even if they do, by then it will be Zilisch's team. He's been passed over on the organizational totem pole, and whiffing on a golden opportunity to upgrade his crew chief cements it.
Chastain is the type of talent who can compete for Cup Series championships. He's proven it before when his team was good enough, and he can prove it again. But if it's going to happen, he needs to start exploring opportunities with other organizations. It's that simple.