"I'm certainly not used to it": Ross Chastain on leading the championship over Joey Logano
Ross Chastain has enjoyed a stellar start to the season as he leads the NASCAR Cup Series standings on points, two races into the season. Chastain’s results in the first two races indicate that the Trackhouse Racing team will be among the front-runners this season.
Trackhouse Racing is entering its third Cup Series season after an unforgettable sophomore year in 2022. Ross Chastain finished the season behind champion Joey Logano in the driver’s standings. Daniel Suarez finished 10th in the standings, having qualified for the playoffs. The team has not lost momentum over the winter.
Chastain is currently leading the standings for the first time in his career. He expressed his delight by saying:
“Well, I'm certainly not used to it. It feels good to me, but I think it also tells the story of a bigger picture with Trackhouse being fairly young and all the people there working together to help us get to this point.”
The #1 driver lauded his team, adding:
“I certainly didn't get here on my own. Everyone is pulling in the same direction and it's showing. I don't want to get ahead of myself though. This is a long season, and there are so many variables, so we'll just keep doing what we're doing, and we'll see how the season shakes out.”
The 30-year-old driver is on a surreal run of form, finishing in the top ten in the season opener, followed by a podium in the final race of the Auto Club Speedway. Chastain won the second stage at the Daytona 500 and swept the first two stages at Fontana. He also led most laps at Fontana (91) before being passed by Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott.
Entering the third event of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Chastain will be hoping to extend his remarkable run. The Florida man returns to the track where he finished third in the spring race and second in the Playoff race last season.
The Trackhouse Racing team won three races last year and will most likely win more this season.
Ross Chastain pulls double duty at Las Vegas
Before racing in the Pennzoil 400, Ross Chastain is set to race in the Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday. He will pilot the #41 Worldwide Express Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports.
The Chevrolet driver admitted that the Truck race allowed him to have more laps under his belt before the Cup race. Additional laps before the main event will help him understand the track characteristics.
Chastain elaborated on the reasons for racing in multiple events:
"I'm a pretty firm believer that all laps are good laps so anytime I have the opportunity to hop in something besides the Cup car, I'm usually game. If me being in the truck this weekend helps Niece [Motorsports] on the competition side a little bit too, I'll all for it. So it makes it fun to go out there and turn as many laps as I can."
Kyle Busch will join Ross Chastain for some Truck races this season, driving the #51 Chevy Silverado for KBM, a team owned by him.