Ross Chastain and Trackhouse Racing’s regular season has been a rollercoaster in the truest sense of the word.

They opened the season with the same aggression and energy that made him the driver we all know, but consistency has once again proven elusive.

Photo: Ryan Kemna/TRE

Chastain has battled through up and downs, piecing together a mix of strong runs with frustrating setbacks. Now after his exclusion from last years playoffs -his lone victory on the season coming at Charlotte secured the Floridian a maiden crown jewel in the sport and a chance to fight for the Bill France Cup once more.

Even with all the inconsistency on Saturday’s throughout the regular season, this reminded the garage of his capability to capitalize when the moment is right.

Bumps, Breakthroughs, and A Playoff Ticket

Photo: Ryan Kemna/TREPhoto: Ryan Kemna/TRE

Qualifying speed has been a weak spot for Ross Chastain this season. Outside of road courses, he only started inside the top 10 twice in the regular season—9th in the Daytona 500 and 5th at Nashville. Early in the year, frustration boiled over as Chastain went nine straight qualifying sessions with a best of just 17th at Martinsville, far from ideal for a playoff-caliber team

Still, race-day speed has been his saving grace. In his lone win, Chastain charged from last to first to capture the Coca-Cola 600—becoming the first driver ever to pull off that feat. But overall, his 22nd-place average start compared to a 16.2 average finish raises concern. To make a deep playoff run, Trackhouse knows they’ll need to give him cars capable of starting closer to the front.

Ross’s Playoff Outlook

Photo: Dominic Aragon/TRE

Though their team has had bumps on Saturday, Ross has had breakthroughs with his wins and 10 Top-10 finishes to keep himself in the conversation. The 2022 championship four finalist is familiar to what it takes to get there.

Even if he can’t hail melon his way to the finale, outlined is how he could get there now.

Round of 16: Darlington, Gateway, Bristol

The Round of 16 plays to Chastain and Trackhouse’s strength on intermediates and Ross’s aggressive nature. He’ll chase a third straight Top-5 at Darlington, build on solid runs at Gateway and Bristol, and lean on consistent Top-15 finishes to advance.

Round of 12: New Hampshire, Kansas, Charlotte Roval

If Chastain reaches the Round of 12, he’ll face a favorable stretch—returning to New Hampshire after last year’s top-10, defending his Kansas win, and will lean on Trackhouse’s strong road course program at the Charlotte Roval for more signature moments.

Round of 8: Las Vegas, Talladega, Martinsville

Championship 4: Phoenix

How Ross arrives this far down the line depends on how well they adapt to themselves.

Trackhouse Racing continues to establish itself as a legitimate contender, with Chastain playing the role of fearless spark plug who can overperform under pressure. If they can fix their regular season mistakes, they remain dangerous in the postseason because of his ability to maximize opportunities and stir things up in elimination rounds. Combined with his is aggressive reputation means competitors know he won’t back down when it matters.

Ross Chastain Overview

2025 Stats:

1 win

Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte

3 Top-five finishes, 10 Top-10 finishes

62 laps led out 5,851 run

21.94 avg start

16.24 avg finish

4 DNF’s

Daytona 500 (accident), Echo Park Speedway (accident), Dover (accident), and Indianapolis (accident)

Strengths:

Solid race pace on Intermediates and Road Courses

Ability to seize the moment

Willingness to make bold moves

Weaknesses:

Qualifying speed

Amount of points heading into the playoffs

Down year for him and Trackhouse thus far