Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain, who is competing in NASCAR’s Cup Series, is managing his participation in Ross Chastain Xfinity Series races carefully due to NASCAR’s rule restricting full-time Cup drivers with three or more years of experience to no more than five Xfinity starts annually. After completing his fourth Xfinity race this past weekend at Dover Motor Speedway, his day ended prematurely because of a rear gear failure.
Prior to Dover, Chastain had secured top-ten finishes in his Xfinity appearances, placing eighth at Circuit of the Americas, fourth at Darlington Raceway, and fifth at Nashville Superspeedway. However, his weekend at Dover contrasted sharply, with a disappointing 38th place DNF. His recent Cup Series event at the “Monster Mile” was also marred by a late wreck, cutting short his time on track.
Chastain Focuses on Cup Playoffs, Skips Indianapolis Xfinity Race
This coming Saturday, Chastain will not take part in the Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, opting instead to concentrate on the Brickyard 400 Cup Series event scheduled for Sunday. As the regular season nears its conclusion, he seeks to improve his playoff positioning in the Cup Series, where he has already secured a playoff spot thanks to his win at the Coca-Cola 600 held at Charlotte Motor Speedway last May.
Unlike earlier in the season, when Chastain skipped several Xfinity race weekends between starts, he is stepping away for just one weekend this time. He plans to return for his fifth and final Xfinity Series race of the year at Iowa Speedway the following Saturday.
Planning a Return to Iowa Speedway with JR Motorsports Chevrolet
At the Iowa Speedway event, Chastain will drive the No. 9 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, the same car he has used throughout his Xfinity Series starts this season. The Iowa track, a four-turn oval measuring 0.894 miles (1.439 kilometers) located in Newton, Iowa, rejoined the Xfinity schedule last year after a hiatus since 2019.
Chastain has previous success at Iowa, having finished ninth there with DGM Racing in the Xfinity race following the track’s return. His best performances at Iowa came earlier, with two fourth-place finishes driving for JD Motorsports in 2017 and 2018. The No. 9 Chevrolet will not appear on this weekend’s entry list for the Indianapolis race.
Broadcast Information for Upcoming Xfinity Races
The Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will air live on the CW Network starting at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, July 26. The Hy-Vee PERKS 250 from Iowa Speedway will also be broadcast live on the same network and time on Saturday, August 2. Fans can access full coverage through a free trial of FuboTV to catch all the action from the NASCAR Xfinity Series throughout the season.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Why did Ross Chastain hit the wall?
A. NASCAR stepped in and informed Denny Hamlin that he had effectively conveyed his message. During that same race, Ross Chastain collided with Chase Elliott, causing Elliott to spin out. When the race restarted, Elliott forced Chastain towards the wall, and Hamlin made a close pass, showing his anger again.
Q. What is the Ross Chastain rule?
A. On Tuesday, NASCAR shared several rule updates for the 2023 season. One rule stands out from the others. It bans the exciting wall-riding move used by Ross Chastain during last fall’s “Hail Melon” race at Martinsville.