The Lady in Black can stir up uneasy memories. Nobody knows this better than the driver whose career was first put in the spotlight at Darlington Raceway.
Ross Chastain and the track that is “Too Tough to Tame” have a complicated history. It’s a track filled with opportunity for the eighth-generation watermelon farmer who has come so close to victory lane here before. On the contrary, it’s also been a track of career-defining moments and heartbreak.
Darlington’s Defining Moments
In May of 2022, the Trackhouse Racing driver was incredibly close to holding the trophy on the 1.366-mile oval. Chastain finished Stage 1 in second and Stage 2 in first. A dominant performance was suddenly derailed after lost control of his car through turn 1 on lap 195. A crushing blow to an otherwise perfect day.
In May of 2023, Chastain put his aggressive racing on full display, turning heads with a move that would define his career thus far.
In the final laps of the 2023 Goodyear 400, the four-time NASCAR Cup Series winner drove Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro up the track. What was shaping up to be an epic battle to the checkered flag ended in an instant as both cars went into the outside wall.
The actions of the No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet drew critical comments from Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon. Even team owner, Justin Marks, shared the team had some tough conversations after this incident after a few weeks of on-track controversy.
Much time has passed since then and the team is trying to get their mojo back after a slow start to the 2024 season. Seemingly, the Trackhouse organization has lacked speed this year with only one win and several close calls. Many of those close calls came from Chastain himself, noting Nashville Superspeedway, Pocono Raceway, and Texas Motor Speedway as wins that got away.
“There is a list,” he shared recounting the events that could have been. “But at some point, you’re not like this week when I would daydream and lose focus. It was Darlington races that were playing in my mind.
Looking Forward
Yes, Chastain’s history with the Lady in Black can bring back unpleasant memories. However, not every moment on this track is negative for the 31-year-old. With low lows come high highs.
In one of his several NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts this season with Niece Motorsports, Chastain was able to out-duel Ty Majeski to win the Buckle Up South Carolina 200. Leading only the final three laps of the race to get the trophy, the emotional victory acted as a major confidence boost after a lackluster season in the NASCAR Cup Series.
“We have been trying to win at Darlington… this is where my career changed, my life changed,” Chastain said in his post-race interview. “A watermelon farmer just won Darlington”.
With such a complicated history Darlington, the driver of the No. 1 Busch Retro Chevrolet needs everything to go right this weekend with his points situation heading into the final race of the regular season.
“It’s real that we are in this position. If you had had me fill out a bingo card at the start of the season, I wouldn’t have had this blocked for sure,” Chastain said about his expectations heading into this season.”
Heading into the Cook Out Southern 500, Chastain currently sits 27 points below the cutoff line. Though they have let some wins slip at the South Carolina track, he is optimistic things could go their way this weekend.
“We’ve had opportunities to win the Southern 500 a million times. We’ve had opportunities to win a couple of races spring and fall here and in different series, so that’s my goal,” Chastain recalls. “I came here in 2021. I left here that weekend and thought we could win the Cup race in Darlington one day and that thought hasn’t left my mind since.”
The Trackhouse driver will have an extra chance to win this weekend by competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event. On Saturday, he will try to wheel his way to the front of the pack in the No. 92 Protect Your Melon Chevrolet from a starting position of 24th. And, though the crossover between Xfinity and Cup is slim. Even if this is the case, Chastain believes his run on Saturday could help his efforts on Sunday.
“I see the benefit,” he said. “Ripping some laps for 20 minutes this morning. I can’t think of anything better to help me be faster Sunday night than getting laps on track here and this on my third [Xfinity] race of the year.”
Winning the Sports Clips VFW Help a Hero 250 would be a great way to start the weekend. Do you know what would be even better? A win in the Cook Out Southern 500, which would secure his chance to fight for a championship.
“We need to gather a lot of points Sunday night and win,” Chastain explained. “The math is the math. If we have a fast car that will obviously increase our chances. I love Darlington so I can’t think of a better place to be going this weekend. We’ll all know Sunday night if I’m in the playoffs or not. No matter what though, we’re going to keep working hard and going for wins the rest of the season.”
Starting from 22nd on the grid, the No. 1 Busch Retro Chevrolet has some work to do. Hopefully, the Lady in Black doesn’t continue to plague Chastain’s nightmares following this weekend’s 500-mile race. The NASCAR Cup Series will take the green flag on Sunday, September 1 at 6 PM ET. The race will air on the USA Network and the NBC Sports App.
