Ross Chastain will be among the 12 NASCAR drivers who will determine their title fate in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 17, 2022.
It will be the third race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs and will serve as the first eliminator of the title fight. This will also be the third consecutive year that Bristol is hosting the Round of 16 cut-off race for the series.
Meanwhile, Ross Chastain is excited to return to Bristol Motor Speedway. The Trackhouse Racing driver will pilot the #1 Camaro ZL1, hoping to take it to victory at the event. Chastain has performed well so far this 2022 season, having secured two victories with 10 top five, 15 top 10, and 5 stage wins.
Speaking to the media about his journey so far in his career and how it has turned out to be, he said:
“It’s interesting because with this current car, watching a ton of old races for each track you’re at doesn’t really apply anymore. You can really only look at the race earlier this year. So when I go back and look at races from earlier this year when we are headed back for the second time, and we had a winning car, that’s where I go ‘wow, that’s crazy to me.’ Seeing my name at the merchandise hauler is cool but where I really feel it is when I think about all of the winning cars I’ve had this year.”
The 2022 Cup Series season marks the first appearance in the playoffs for Ross Chastain. He managed to secure a playoff spot after winning at COTA in March, marking Trackhouse Racing's first win in the series in its second season as a team.
Ross Chastain must exercise extreme caution at Bristol Motor Speedway
Ross Chastain also mentioned that the Bass Pro Shops Night Race would be tough because it's an elimination race and that NASCAR understood precisely what they were doing when they made it that way. Currently, Chastain is 9th in the playoffs standings, 26 points above the cutline.
Despite his success, he has been the talk of the town when it comes to wrecking. Many NASCAR drivers have been wrecked by Chastain this season, which seems to have become a habit. It is evident that he consequently doesn't have a lot of supporters in his playoff run.
NASCAR fans hope that Chastain will be careful in his lane to avoid wrecks as all drivers will be cautious to qualify in the elimination race. As long as the #1 driver stays clean on the track, it will improve his chances of securing a good position and gaining more points.