Ross Chastain NASCAR performance faces increasing scrutiny as Trackhouse Racing continues to struggle on oval circuits. While Shane van Gisbergen managed to secure his first oval top-10 finish with a 10th place at Kansas Speedway, it came too late in the season to impact his standing substantially. This milestone marked an important step for van Gisbergen, a rookie adjusting to NASCAR Cup Series oval racing, but it did not prevent both him and Chastain from falling short of championship contention heading into the playoffs.
Chastain, currently sitting 13 points below the Round of 12 cut line at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval, remains on the playoff bubble, whereas van Gisbergen was eliminated earlier as part of the Round of 16. Their performances highlight the ongoing difficulties Trackhouse Racing endures on traditional NASCAR tracks—particularly ovals—underscoring the gap that still exists between them and the sport’s top-tier teams.
Assessing Trackhouse’s Oval Performance Deficit
Despite van Gisbergen’s rookie success on road courses, where he recorded four wins that set a rookie record, Trackhouse’s overall results on ovals remain disappointing. Evaluating the standings without the playoff system reveals more about the team’s issues: Ross Chastain would place 13th, while van Gisbergen would fall outside the top 20 after the regular season, even with his impressive road course achievements.
Trackhouse’s struggles on ovals are especially notable considering Ross Chastain’s surprise victory at the Coca-Cola 600 earlier this year. Since Memorial Day, the team’s collective top-10 finishes on oval tracks have been scarce, totaling only five for the entire organization. Daniel Suárez, who is departing the team, accounted for two of those results, including a runner-up finish at Daytona International Speedway—the team’s only top-five on ovals in that period. Chastain contributed two top-10 finishes, and van Gisbergen finally broke through with his 10th place at Kansas.
In contrast, other leading competitors have consistently dominated these tracks. For example, Chase Elliott has claimed two wins and seven top-10 finishes since Memorial Day, Kyle Larson has recorded nine top-10s despite midseason struggles, and Denny Hamlin has captured three victories. This comparison illustrates the stark disparity between Trackhouse and the powerhouse teams that dominate oval racing.
Limited Leadership and Track Control on Ovals
Beyond finishing positions, Trackhouse’s lack of laps led on ovals is glaring. Over the last 18 races, Chastain has led only 14 laps—the worst stretch of his career with the team—while Suárez has led 19. Van Gisbergen’s 23 laps led since the Memorial Day break are deceptive because just nine occurred on oval tracks, with the rest coming on road courses where his performance is notably stronger.
This imbalance between road course success and oval track struggles indicates a challenge in vehicle setup and race strategy specific to the oval style. Road courses allow driver expertise to compensate somewhat for equipment shortcomings, but ovals require technical precision, vehicle speed, and sustained performance throughout the race, areas where Trackhouse appears outmatched by the Hendrick Motorsports entries, Toyota, and Ford’s top squads.
Ross Chastain and Team Perspectives on Competing with NASCAR’s Elite
Ross Chastain has openly recognized the difficulty of competing against NASCAR’s top-tier “Big Three” organizations, attributing their dominance to substantial financial resources and infrastructure. Speaking to Zack Albert of NASCAR.com, Chastain reflected on the challenge:
“The question will always be, how do you beat the Big Three?”
—Ross Chastain
He continued to emphasize Trackhouse’s capacity to compete despite these obstacles:
“I think it’s just the nature of the sport and the quantity of people and the quantity of dollars. They’re cubic over there. So yeah, I feel like we can. Justin [Marks] wouldn’t do it, we wouldn’t all pour the effort and money into it if we didn’t think we could go compete.
And like, we can. We did it at Charlotte [Motor Speedway]. We did it at Kansas last year. We’ve done it. Daniel [Suárez] could have won [Las Vegas Motor Speedway] in the spring, but how do we continue to do that? We do it every now and then. That’s our big question: how did we do it then, and we don’t have an answer, and then how do we do it again? We don’t have an answer, but we’re trying.”
—Ross Chastain
These statements capture both the aspiration and frustration felt by the driver and team as they seek a formula to replicate occasional successes against some of NASCAR’s wealthiest and most experienced teams.
Looking Ahead: Impact of Emerging Talent and Future Prospects
The arrival of promising young driver Connor Zilisch for Trackhouse next season offers a beacon of hope. Zilisch’s proven talent in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, with potential for multiple wins and a championship, could provide much-needed momentum and new strategic approaches within the team.
Nonetheless, Trackhouse’s more fundamental issues in vehicle setup and consistent performance on ovals must be addressed for the team to truly compete. The current NASCAR schedule places substantial emphasis on oval tracks, making victories on selective road courses insufficient to secure a championship. The team’s ongoing challenge will be to translate the flashes of brilliance into steady, oval-track competitiveness.
The Evolution of NASCAR Racing Dynamics and Finish-Line Drama
Recent seasons have seen an unprecedented number of last-lap passes for the win, with 13 occurring over the last two years—a new NASCAR single-season record marked by the seventh such finish this year at Kansas Speedway. Just one year prior, two races concluded with finishes separated by three-thousandths of a second or less, underscoring how intensely competitive the current Cup Series field is, especially at key tracks like Atlanta Motor Speedway and Kansas.
While last-lap moments can electrify fans and obscure runs of less exciting racing, the nature of these finishes often involves multiple overtime restarts or vigorously contested superspeedway style racing, which naturally leads to the lead changing frequently. True excitement in NASCAR racing demands more than close finishes; it also requires contact, strategic drama, and driver skill—elements that set memorable races apart from routine competition.
Noteworthy Driver Performances Beyond Trackhouse
Beyond the focus on Trackhouse Racing, several other drivers have made significant impacts. Brandon Jones, in particular, has flown under the radar while producing his first multi-win NASCAR Xfinity Series season since 2020. Although he remains a long shot for the championship behind favorites like Connor Zilisch and Justin Allgaier, his progression to the title race would represent a meaningful breakthrough following years of consistent but unremarkable results.
The ongoing dialogue around rivalries between veterans like Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace reflects the tension inherent in NASCAR when drivers race for wins both as teammates and competitors. This dynamic is intrinsic to stock car racing’s appeal, contrasting with disciplines like Formula 1, where team orders often govern driver behavior. As one analyst suggests, drivers racing for themselves inherently accept the risks that come with aggressive competition, particularly in tight finishes such as those witnessed at Kansas.
Overall Implications for Trackhouse and NASCAR Competition
Ross Chastain NASCAR performance not only reflects individual struggles but also highlights broader organizational challenges within Trackhouse Racing. The team’s limited success on oval tracks and inability to consistently lead races point to areas in need of strategic refinement and investment. As NASCAR continues to evolve with the Next Gen chassis and increasing competitiveness, teams like Trackhouse must find new ways to bridge the gap with dominant organizations.
With new talent integration and a sharp focus on setup improvement, Trackhouse’s future competitiveness hinges on solving its oval deficiencies. The outcome of this endeavor will shape whether Ross Chastain and his teammates can contend for championships and take on the traditional powers that have long dominated the NASCAR Cup Series.
