Within the next week, the NASCAR Cup Series will have its four championship contenders decided. After Kyle Larson’s victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Joey Logano remains the only playoff driver locked into the championship round. The driver in the next best shape, at 19 points above the cut line, is Ross Chastain.
At this point in the season, it may not be surprising to see Chastain still in title contention. He and Trackhouse Racing Team have been the biggest breakout stars of 2022. Sure, many people from Chastain’s old crew at Chip Ganassi Racing a year ago joined him at Trackhouse, but Chastain himself was unproven at the Cup level. There was no guarantee back in February that he would win any races or even make the playoffs.
Eight months of racing later, the goal for this season is much higher. With two races left, Chastain has two victories (the first of his career), 13 top fives (the most of all Cup Series drivers this season) and 19 top 10s (tied for the most in the Cup Series). He spent most of the regular season in the top five in overall points, climbing as high as second. Chastain and the No. 1 team have shown real championship potential all season long.
Even a lackluster end to the regular season seems like a distant memory after the first two races in the Round of 8. At Las Vegas, Chastain picked up where he left off in March, leading a race-high 68 laps and cruising to a second-place finish. He might have won had Logano not come charging through the field on fresher tires in the closing laps. Regardless, the No. 1 team kicked off the Round of 8 better than most of their competitors.
Homestead ended with the same result, but it was a much tougher battle for the No. 1 team. Starting mid-pack, Chastain had to claw his way forward as he and crew chief Phil Surgen fought to get the right balance on their Chevy. The real turning point was when Ryan Blaney spun on lap 211, just a few laps after Chastain had made a pit stop. Because Chastain had been able to hold his position on the lead lap, he cycled to the front of the field after the rest of the leaders pitted under caution.
From there on out, Chastain held his spot near the front. He escaped pit road cleanly after a scary incident during the last yellow flag stops when Larson spun leader Martin Truex Jr. into his pit box. When the race resumed with 17 laps to go, Chastain briefly had a shot to pass Larson but lost ground holding off a late charge from AJ Allmendinger. The No….
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