The NASCAR Cup Series closed out the month of June at Nashville Superspeedway, located just outside of Nashville in Lebanon, Tenn.
For Ross Chastain and Trackhouse Racing, the trip to Music City held extra importance due to the team’s involvement in and around Nashville. The 1.333-mile oval was the site of Chastain’s first win on a unrestricted oval back in 2023.
Chastain and Trackhouse added a new chapter to their Music City story in 2024, as the Cup star competed in the Battle of Broadway 150 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. Chastain piloted a Tootsie’s-sponsored Pro Late Model out of the Rackley WAR stable in the event.
The four-time Cup winner had a shot at the win late in the going at the Fairgrounds, but ultimately settled for fourth at night’s end.
However, competing at the Fairgrounds meant more than just another late model race for Chastain. It marked another item checked off his childhood bucket list and a return to his late model roots.
The deal also added to the unique relationship between Chastain, Trackhouse and sponsor Tootsie’s, a well-known bar on Broadway in Downtown Nashville, all while giving some much-needed attention to the historic half-mile short track.
Frontstretch caught up with Chastain on June 27, ahead of the Thursday night late model special at the Fairgrounds. He talked about being a part of grassroots racing, his involvement in the Music City and more.
Chase Folsom, Frontstretch: You’ve been a little bit more involved this year in the grassroots racing world; you ran at Cordele Motorsports Park in SpeedFest earlier this year. What made you want to come run at Nashville Fairgrounds tonight?
Ross Chastain: It’s just been a bucket-list track. I’ve read about it online ever since I started racing when I was 12 years old. I’ve got this opportunity, right, with Trackhouse that affords me a lot of things, and our relationship with Nashville is special.
This is where Justin [Marks, Trackhouse co-owner] came and moved his family and started this idea of Trackhouse, and Tootsie’s was one of the early sponsors. They were on Daniel [Suarez]’s car long before I got to the team, and then they were a big part of my 2022 season.
So for Mr. Steve [Smith, Tootsie’s owner], we’ve been looking for ways to continue that relationship, and my Cup car is sold out, so there’s no room on it. But this opportunity in his backyard right here, and just me wanting to race, I made the ask and we were able to put it together.
Folsom: What was your reaction when you first saw the car? And how’s that partnership been for you, how much fun has it been to be a partner of theirs through your time at Trackhouse?
Chastain: It’s incredible. To come over to another city and get welcomed like we do here, we feel like even though our race shop is in Concord, N.C., we feel like when we come here, this is home. This is where Ty [Norris, Trackhouse president] and Justin live. So many of the early days of Trackhouse just a couple of years ago were born right here and were really put into work.
So as we have continued to move through our seasons, we’re not going anywhere. Yeah, the shop is over there. We’re in a shop we want to be in forever; I do, at least. But coming over here and spending time and seeing Mr. Steve and going and just hanging out at Tootsie’s is just a fun time. Win, lose or draw tonight, we’re going to be there.
Folsom: This is the one-year anniversary weekend of your win at the big track last year. You’re in a similar spot this year in your Cup season, still winless going into Nashville. Do you guys see this as an opportunity weekend to get back in the winner’s circle and get your season back on track?
Chastain: It’s hard not to remember the good times of last year for sure, so when we go through our preparation process, it’s impossible not to look at what we did last year. We’re learning, we’re trying to bring a better car. We want to win by a lap, we don’t want second place right behind us.
But we know what we had worked really well, so I’ll always have the memories of our first pole as a company and for myself, our first win of last year, first on a true downforce track. It’s less than a mile-and-a-half, but it drives like one, so that was really good to do it on that style track. If we bring cars like we’ve brought the last three years with the No. 42 and the two races with the No. 1, we’ll have a shot.
Folsom: At New Hampshire Motor Speedway, you ran on the wet-weather tires for the final 80-or-so laps. What was your experience on those tires, did you like how they raced on track and do you think there’s anything NASCAR could do differently?
Chastain: Well, there’s a lot of things we could always learn, so I’ll leave that up to them. I had a blast. I was excited to get on track. I’ve really embraced road course racing and I’ve put effort in to be better, because I don’t feel like I started out very well or good at it.
I’m still learning, and I still go to driving schools. I still have different instructors across the country coach me, and it might not even be a track that we race at in NASCAR. But just let’s pick a few corners and really exploit them and see how we can make this car go through there faster, put it on the limit of the tire, overstep the limit, stay under the limit.
Just a lot of things that as a racecar driver, it’s why I’m here racing. I want to race, I want to slide the tires around and find the limit, step over, and it’ll help me this weekend. So yeah, I’ll let everybody else decide what we can do better, though.
Folsom: You mentioned sliding the car around, obviously you’re going to do a lot of that here tonight. Is this just a night where you come out and have fun or is there anything that translates over to Sundays?
Chastain: There’s not an apples to apples or watermelons to watermelons, but just like I just said, just driving the car, sliding around, it never hurts. I get to sleep on it tonight and Friday night before I get in the [NASCAR] Xfinity [Series] car on Saturday. Obviously that will be a lot more applicable because it’s on the same track, and then I get ultimately in the Cup car on Sunday and go see if we can back up our win from last year.
Folsom: Are there any other late model tracks or races that you have on your bucket list right now that you’d like to check off in the near future?
Chastain: Long list, very long list. Some [I] might not be able to accomplish until long after my NASCAR career is over, if that was ever possible. Just timing-wise, scheduling it would never work out, but yes, just racing.
I love to be around guys and girls that love racing and working on cars. Not that I’m turning any wrenches; I don’t want to act like I am. Yeah, it’s cool just to be around people that have dedicated so much time and effort into these cars, and to get to drive them is really special.
Folsom: Any specific tracks that come to mind right off the top of your head?
Chastain: Can’t tell you. You’ll have to wait until you see me on the entry list.
Folsom: You were fast in practice today, fastest overall in first practice. What’s the expectation going into tonight, and what would a win mean here to you at the Fairgrounds?
Chastain: Oh, gosh, that would be indescribable. I don’t know, I don’t know what that would be like. Everybody would get to watch me experience it if it was to happen. I’ll be chasing my teammate Dawson [Sutton] around. He’s really got these cars figured out, and for not having a lot of years of racing experience, he’s really putting together some good laps and races.
He’s fast about every week, but putting himself in contention to win at the end of the races. So just trying to follow him, learn from him. It’s special just to be here. We get to go race, and that’s the best part.
About the author
Chase began working with Frontstretch in the spring of 2023 as a news writer, while also helping fill in for other columns as needed. Chase is now the main writer and reporter for Frontstretch.com's CARS Tour coverage, a role which began late in 2023. Aside from racing, some of Chase's other hobbies include time in the outdoors hunting and fishing, and keeping up with all things Philadelphia sports related.
A daily email update (Monday through Friday) providing racing news, commentary, features, and information from Frontstretch.com
We hate spam. Your email address will not be sold or shared with anyone else.