Ross Chastain enters this Memorial Day race weekend knowing the importance of honoring those who gave their lives for the country.

He also knows he has work to do.

For the Trackhouse Racing driver that means getting to victory lane. He has enjoyed a stellar 2022 season, but the one thing he is missing is driving his No. 1 Chevrolet to victory lane in AdventHealth livery.

AdventHealth has supported Chastain since 2020 and is counting the days until it celebrates with the 29-year-old Alva, Florida native in victory lane.

Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 would be the perfect race to take home the trophy.

He could almost walk the trophy back to the Trackhouse Racing's shop just six miles from Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

The shop is already home to both of Chastain's trophies from his two Cup Series wins this season - Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on March 27 and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway on April 24. Both wins marked Trackhouse Racing's first two wins since it's inception last year.

Chastain has seven top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 13 races this season, along with 273 laps led.

He arrives in Charlotte after battling for the lead before a spectacular accident in Sunday night's All-Star race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The plan is to replicate the same speed for 400 laps at Charlotte minus the near flip.

He'll get a full weekend of racing as he makes his fourth Truck Series start of the season Friday driving the No. 41 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet.

The Coca-Cola 600 will be on Sunday night with television coverage on Fox beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

Army Staff Sergeant Joseph R. Ray

This Memorial weekend, Chastain will carry the name of Army Staff Sergeant Joseph R. Ray on the windshield of his Camaro. Ray, an Asheville, N.C. native was assigned to the 391st Engineer Battalion, Army Reserve.

Ray died on March 12, 2006 when an improvised explosive device detonated near his humvee during combat operations in Afghanistan. Ray's family will attend the race this weekend and meet with Chastain.

Ross Chastain, Driver of the No. 1 AdventHealth Chevrolet

Do you have anyone close to you in the military?

"I grew up with a buddy named Joe Edwards that went into the Marines. He’s out now and is raising his family in Fort Myers. I remember when he decided to go in. That thought never crossed my mind. I guess I was never exposed to that in a way, or called like he was. He married his high school sweetheart and they went and traveled from base to base and he worked on helicopters. I'm still really close with him. He’s running his own business back home. I don’t know how to say thank you, I don’t feel thank you is enough."

How special is it to race on Memorial Day?

"I think the best thing about sports, is it sports. It’s not real life – it is if you make a living here and it supports a lot of families, but to race on Memorial Day and put a name on the windshield, I never quite feel fulfilled enough and that we’re doing enough.

We give their families just a few hours to watch auto racing and enjoy it. If it takes them away from their everyday life and the real world, that’s great that we can do that for them."