Ross Chastain may not have gotten the result he wanted at Richmond. But after months of frustration, the 12th-place finish offered Trackhouse Racing another reason for optimism.
Following up on a seventh-place finish in Iowa, Chastain has now put together two solid results in two weeks. With only New Hampshire and Daytona remaining before the Chase, the No. 1 team finally has momentum at the right time.
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“I’ll just keep running in the top ten like we did tonight. That’s getting on base. I feel like if we’d have been doing this all summer, we’d be in a lot of different spots. So this is way above where the summer was. Of course we want more, but it’s a lot better,” Chastain said to Frontstretch after the Cook Out 400 on Saturday.
For much of the season, even finishing inside the top 10 had been difficult for Chastain. Entering the 23rd race of the season with just one top-five and five top-10 finishes, the No. 1 Chevrolet was buried in the standings and facing an uphill battle to make the Chase. Then, the Iowa Corn 350 changed the picture, as a strong seventh-place finish moved him from 21st to 18th in the standings in just one weekend.
Richmond did not bring another top-10 finish, but it was still a solid outing for Chastain. He finished 12th and led Trackhouse’s charge, finishing ahead of teammate Shane van Gisbergen and RFK Racing’s Ryan Preece.
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However, a big points haul from Austin Cindric, who finished third, shook up the playoff bubble. Despite beating his closest rivals on the track, Chastain slipped further behind the Chase cutline and now sits 63 points out of the final transfer spot, occupied by his teammate Shane van Gisbergen.
There are now only two races remaining before the Chase begins. New Hampshire Motor Speedway comes next, followed by the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway.
Chastain likely needs more than just top-10 finishes. Sitting 63 points below the cutline with only two races left, his most realistic path to the Chase may be a desperate push for a win.
The immediate objective is straightforward. He wants to keep building momentum. “I’m gonna prepare this week and go try to win,” he said after the Cook Out 400, making his goals ahead of the Dollar Tree 301 clear.
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After spending much of the summer searching for consistency, Chastain finally has something to build on. Two strong finishes in a row have given him some much-needed momentum. Making the Chase will still be difficult, but for now, Trackhouse has reason to look ahead with a little more optimism.
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