AVONDALE, Ariz. – Ross Chastain’s hard work has paid off.
On Friday morning at the new ISM Raceway Media Center, Chip Ganassi Racing announced that Chastain will drive for the team full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series aboard the No. 42 DC Solar Chevrolet Camaro.
The Alva, Florida’s newest endeavor comes on the heels of a three-race stint with CGR this season where he won the pole in team debut at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway won the first two opening stages but finished 25th after colliding with Kevin Harvick while racing for the lead.
Gaining the attention of Ganassi, Chastain proved that his presence at the front wasn’t a fluke in his next race at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway where he qualified fifth, dominated the race and won his first career Xfinity Series race.
In his last opportunity at Richmond, he qualified third and finished second.
Overall, in his three finishes with CGR, the Floridian led 280 laps and maintained an average finish of 9.3
Since then, Chastain returned to his normal driving duties at JD Motorsports with Gary Keller, but DC Solar CEO Jeff Carpoff laid the groundwork with Ganassi to elevate Chastain from a part-time gig to a full championship-caliber effort beginning on Feb. 16 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
“DC Solar is excited to continue its partnership with CGR, and we’re extremely proud to sponsor Ross during the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity season,” said Carpoff. “From the moment I met Ross, I knew there was something special about him, so the decision to support him came easy.
“Witnessing his raw talent, as well as his humility and gratitude for the opportunity, only confirmed that he would be a great representative for the DC Solar brand.”
Ganassi said before Carpoff’s recommendation, he could not pick Chastain out of a lineup but admitted Friday that after his Darlington performance – the gamble paid off.
“When we first talked about putting Ross in the car this year, this was something that Jeff and Paulette felt strongly about, and Ross made the most of the opportunity running well in all three races and bringing home a win and a runner-up finish,” said Ganassi. “We are looking forward to him continuing that success in 2019 and competing for his first NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship.”
The 25-year-old will embark on his fifth full-time season in 2019. In four season with JD Motorsports, Chastain has earned 12 top-10 finishes and qualified for the Xfinity Series Playoffs this season but was eliminated from the first round despite a hard-fought 13th place finish at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.
“I’m an eighth-generation farmer from Florida who was fortunate enough to get a shot in top-flight equipment,” offered Chastain. “I’m incredibly grateful to everyone, especially my family, who helped me get to this point. I’ve had a great run with Johnny Davis Motorsports and it’s obvious I wouldn’t be in the position I am today without Johnny’s support. I have been racing everything that I can since breaking into NASCAR seven years ago.
“Until DC Solar and Chip (Ganassi) gave me a shot in Darlington, nobody knew who I was. I want to remain humble. I enjoy being the underdog. Excited or thrilled doesn’t begin to capture how I feel about joining CGR full time. I’m eager to take full advantage of the opportunity in front of me.
“The obvious goal is to win races, compete for an Xfinity Series Championship and represent DC Solar to the best of my ability.”
Chastain also said Friday he plans to compete in a majority of the Cup Series races next season for Jay Robinson’s Premium Motorsports – but said if he needed to shift all of his concentration to Xfinity, he would.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
