Race Notes
Jockey at Talladega: Get ready for another thrilling convergence of speed, art and the great outdoors as Ross Chastain takes the wheel of the No. 1 Jockey Outdoors™ by Luke Bryan car this weekend at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Crafted in partnership with world-renowned American naturalist painter Al Agnew and the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S), the Jockey Outdoors by Luke Bryan paint scheme embodies a vibrant combination of racing, outdoor lifestyle, and artistry. With Chastain's recent success in the Bassmaster Classic Pro-Am Tournament, where he caught the first fish, Chastain is poised to bring his unparalleled determination and skill to Talladega, delivering a performance that is sure to leave fans on the edge of their seats. Additionally, the car will proudly feature the signature of Justin Hamner, a local legend hailing from nearby Northport, Ala., and the winner of the 2024 Bassmaster Classic.
About Jockey Outdoors™ by Luke Bryan: Launched in 2022, it is designed to be tough on the outside and soft but strong on the inside. Engineered with intelligent layers, premium fabrics and performance technology, the pieces are designed to layer, with seams strategically placed to eliminate bulk and keep outdoorsmen covered and comfortable.
Talladega Stats: Since driving the No. 1 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series, Chastain has two top-five finishes at Talladega, including a win in April 2022. He's led a total of 22 laps at the 2.66-mile superspeedway.
Season Stats: Chastain has earned four top-10s in nine races so far this season along with 59 laps led. He's currently 11th in driver points.
NASCAR: Full Speed: Catch Chastain in the five-episode docuseries NASCAR: Full Speed on Netflix. The series documented portions of Chastain's 2023 season on and off the track. All five episodes are currently available on Netflix.
Last Weekend at Texas: Chastain qualified 12th at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, won Stage 2 - 12th stage win of his career, led a total of 33 laps and was battling for the win through multiple overtime restarts when contact from a competitor sent him spinning into the wall on the last lap and he ultimately finished 32nd.
2023 Season Recap: Chastain won at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway in June and at the Phoenix Raceway season finale in November. He posted 10 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes in his third fulltime Cup season. The Alva, Florida native finished ninth in points.Ross Chastain Career Statistics
Chastain Quotes:
How do you feel heading to Talladega?
“(Laughs) Fine. There’s a lot of one time winners at that track and I’m in that group, but a lot more wrecks and hurt feelings leaving there and last fall stings really hard. I made an aggressive move and crashed in Stage 1. I want to be running at the end and then we’ll race it out.”
Bubba Wallace said that once he had the mindset of enjoying superspeedway racing that his performance improved. How do you fall into that group? Do you enjoy racing in close quarters?
“I do. In the Truck Series I was the same way, I was so nervous and just trying to survive and I would ride in the back and then I would go race at the end and then I would get torn up. I finally just decided that when I got to a team that was okay with me crashing…that was the other thing, I drove for teams that didn’t want me to crash because that was their opportunity to make money if you could just finish the race – so when I got to the Xfinity Series and the 10 car, they told me to go win and it doesn’t matter if you crash it or not. I’ve crashed a lot on superspeedways but I also have two superspeedway wins (Xfinity and Cup). Not a great percentage but the two wins do go a long way. Yes, I had a mindset change and I agree with Darrell (Bubba) that it makes the week a lot more enjoyable versus dreading going into it.”
NASCAR is obviously your sport in the United States and MotoGP is trying to grow in the U.S., what do you think from what you’ve seen so far that there is to learn for MotoGP from NASCAR?
“It’s a little tough for me to say because I’m still learning about MotoGP so it’s hard for me to say what MotoGP does great and what they don’t do so great. I think a lot of it starts with telling the story though. Trackhouse is a catalyst to start telling the story here in the states. We’ve established ourselves in NASCAR and won races and continue to compete at the highest level of our sport, so race fans in general know Trackhouse is a new team in NASCAR. You all (MotoGP media) have brought a presence here at COTA unlike I’ve seen in NASCAR. So I think getting the content from MotoGP out in the U.S. in a form that has an American outlet covering it all year and showing Trackhouse and the series in general would be awesome.”
What did you think about the Bassmaster Pro-Am Tournament you fished in?
“I was a little nervous going into it because I haven’t had the chance to fish much recently. Even though it’s supposed to be fun, we were still in a competition. I was paired up with angler Logan Parks and he was a really cool guy and helped me feel comfortable with what I was doing. It was good to get out there thanks to Jockey and experience something a little out of my comfort zone.”
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Trackhouse Founder and Owner Justin Marks, Daniel Suárez, and Ross Chastain spent Friday at the MotoGP event at COTA. In December, Trackhouse announced its entry in the FIM MotoGP World Championship motorcycle racing series.
Suárez Notes
Tootsie's & Suárez: Longtime sponsor Tootsie's World-Famous Orchid Lounge, the legendary and historic honky-tonk in the heart of Nashville's Lower Broadway entertainment district, will serve as the primary sponsor on Trackhouse Racing’s No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro for Sunday's race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway as well as multiple races in the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. Tootsie's first partnered with Trackhouse Racing in 2021.
Talladega Superspeedway: Suárez owns four top-10 finishes in 14 starts on the 2.66-mile track. He's led 47 laps.
Talladega in October: In the final 13-lap shootout, Suárez raced as high as fourth amid two- and three-abreast racing, but he could not make a bid for victory after a seven-car accident at the start-finish line damaged the No. 99 and left him with the 11th-place finish.
Sunday in Texas: Suárez notched his second top-five finish of the season when he charged from midpack to the top-five in the final laps then survived two overtimes to finish fifth Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
Daytona 500: In the most recent superspeedway race, Trackhouse drivers Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez ran first and second in the closing laps even swapping the lead. However, Suárez saw his night end in an 18-car accident with eight laps remaining in the Daytona 500. Suárez ran well all evening finishing 10th and third in the first two stages, pacing himself early in the runs before charging to the front in the final laps of each stage.
Season So Far: Suárez is 18th in points and likely secured a place in the 2024 playoffs with his victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Feb. 25.
Atlanta Victory: At Atlanta, he and runner-up Ryan Blaney were separated by 0.003 seconds at the finish line. It was the third-closest finish in series history, and with third-place Kyle Busch just 0.007 seconds behind the winner, it also stands as the closest finish among three cars in the history of auto racing.
Trackhouse Victories: Atlanta marked Trackhouse Racing's seventh win in the NASCAR Cup Series, and first at Atlanta. Chastain owns four victories, Suárez two and one for Shane van Gisbergen.
Mexico Series: Suárez won the 150-lap Mexico Series race at the Los Angeles Coliseum on Feb. 3. It was his 11th victory.
First Mexican to Win in Cup: Suárez became the first driver from Mexico (Monterrey) to win in the NASCAR Cup Series on June 12, 2022, at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway.
International Driver: He is one of six drivers not from the United States to win a NASCAR Cup Series race: Shane van Gisbergen (New Zealand), Marcos Ambrose (Australia), Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia), Earl Ross (Canada) and Mario Andretti (Italy). Ambrose, Montoya, and Suarez own two victories each.
Cup Career Highlights: Suárez owns two victories (Sonoma 2022 and Atlanta 2024) and three Busch Light Pole Awards - Pocono (Pa.) Raceway July 2018, Kentucky Speedway July 2019, and on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway August 2023.
English is a Second Language: Suárez came to America to race. He did not speak English when he arrived in Buffalo, New York. He is the only Spanish-speaking driver in the NASCAR Cup Series.Daniel Suárez Career Statistics
Suárez Quotes:
How would you assess Trackhouse so far?
“We are top five and top-10 on the mile and a half and road courses. The short tracks are where we have the most work to do. I feel like we are just outside the top-10. Hopefully we can close that gap in the next couple of months.”
Are you looking forward to Talladega?
“Honestly, I’m the kind of guy that is looking forward to the next race regardless of where we are racing whether it is on dirt or a superspeedway. I feel like that’s the mentality you have to have. I have learned that if you hate something you will suck at it forever, so you have to change your mindset. In Daytona we ran well, scoring points in every stage including the Duels. I think our Tootsie’s Chevrolet will be just as quick Sunday in Talladega.”
What was it like visiting MotoGP at Circuit of the Americas in Austin supporting the Trackhouse Racing MotoGP team?
“That was an amazing experience. Those guys are crazy. If you think we are crazy you must go meet those guys. It’s unbelievable what they do. They are such incredible athletes. I loved talking to them and hearing about their preparations and race strategies.
“It was very interesting.
“They watch NASCAR. I have been watching MotoGP for several years without knowing any of the drivers, but now that I get to know Raul (Fernandez) and Miguel (Oliveira), our two riders it makes it a lot more interesting and fun.”
Trackhouse Racing PR
