“I know how challenging it could be”: Ross Chastain wary of NASCAR’s change in layout to Indianapolis Oval

Trackhouse Racing Team driver Ross Chastain, has shared his thoughts on returning to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400. The last Cup Series race at the oval track took place in 2020, when Kevin Harvick secured the win.

Chastain, who pilots the #1 Chevy in the Cup Series, had his debut NASCAR race in Indianapolis at the Lucas Oil Raceway Park in 2011, driving the #66 entry in the Truck Series. In a double-duty weekend at Indianapolis, Ross Chastain will return to IRP for the TSport 200, piloting the #45 Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports, before heading to the Cup Series race on Sunday.

Ross Chastain has raced at the IMS three times in his Cup Series career, marking his best finish in P17, driving for Spire Motorsports in 2020. NASCAR held their Cup Series race at the road course at the IMS (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) between 2021-2023, before returning to the oval track this year.

After driving in the Verizon 200 for the last three years, Chastain shed light on returning to the oval. He said:

"It's good to be back on the oval. lt's a good change of pace. It's the first time we'll be on the oval with this version of the car. A couple of guys did the test there so they'll probably have a little bit of an upper hand, It's been a while since I've been on the oval but I know how challenging it can be. If we're good at Pocono, we'll probably be good at Indy." (via Speedway Digest)

On being asked about his expectations racing in the Truck Series on Friday, Chastain said:

"I don't know. I haven't been there since my first race in NASCAR. That was my first truck start. I've had a desire to get back there and I'm finally getting there."

The "Martinsville Miracle" driver retired from the NASCAR race at Pocono in stage 2 after completing 53 laps. He lost his power steering and crashed into the wall, resulting in a P37 finish, second from last. Currently sitting at P13 in the drivers' standings, Ross Chastain will be looking to bounce back from his disappointment at Pocono as he prepares to return to Indianapolis.

---

Revisiting Ross Chastain's 'Martinsville Miracle' move in the 2022 title race

Ross Chastain swept the NASCAR fraternity off its feet after he made an extraordinary move on the final lap of the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville in 2022.

Chastain was in P10 as lap 500 began before going on a full-throttle wall ride at the final turn, where he overtook five cars, pushing him up to P5 and escaping elimination. This move allowed Chastain to grab a final four spot by just one point.

Here is a look at the incredible move from the #1 driver.

In a post-race interview, Chastain highlighted how he got the idea of executing a wall ride from a video game.

“I played a lot of NASCAR 2005 on the Gamecube with [brother] Chad growing up, and you could get away with it. I never knew if it would actually work, and I did that when I was eight years old.”

Following Chastain's wall ride, NASCAR went on to ban this move, making this a historical, one-of-a-kind spectacle for motorsport fans across the globe.