Posted on by Terrin Waack

As the playoffs kick off this weekend, Ross Chastain can’t afford to lose sight of his season-long goal: the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. It’s just seven races away now.

On Monday, however, Chip Ganassi Racing announced Chastain will take over its No. 42 Chevrolet for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.

RELATED: Chip Ganassi Racing taps Ross Chastain for 2021

“I don’t know, if I’m being honest, that I can truthfully say right now or throughout the week it’s not a little bit of a distraction,” Chastain said Tuesday during the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs Media Day. “There’s more eyeballs. There’s more talk in and around us.

“But I know this group – the 10 and 11 teams at Kaulig Racing – is 100 percent committed to these seven races.”

Chastain qualified for the postseason on the basis of points. He’s the eighth seed with 10 bonus points, and teammate Justin Haley in the No. 11 Kaulig car sits sixth. Four of the 12 drivers will be cut after the opening Round of 12, meaning Chastain currently sits in the hot spot.

The No. 10 Chevrolet has yet to make it to Victory Lane. Instead, Chastain has 13 top-five and 23 top-10 performances – good for a 7.9 average finish.

“Narrowing in on this Xfinity Series run with the 42 car out in front of us, I’m staring down the barrel of a championship run with this 10 team that is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” Chastain said. “I was able to experience a lot last year with Niece Motorsports and our championship run, but it wasn’t building. We didn’t have the mentality that we’re building for Phoenix all year. It came late. … This has been methodical, planned out over the course of the year to build a notebook to be ready for Phoenix. That’s all I can focus on right now. Next year will happen in due time.”

In 2019, Chastain ran the No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet full time in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series to a runner-up showing in the final standings. He was part time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In 19 starts – six of which were with Kaulig Racing – he won one race and tallied two top fives and five top 10s.

As someone who normally tries to race in as many national-series events as he can – he tallied 77 races last year – Chastain hopes he can still get seat time with Kaulig Racing in 2021.

“It’s not lost on me what this team has done,” Chastain said. “Without this team, I don’t know that I get the nod back with Chip and the 42 car to be honest.”

RELATED: Silly Season’s key figures | Xfinity Series standings

Matt Kenseth drives the No. 42 entry right now, but he was signed as a fill-in after Chip Ganassi Racing ended its relationship with Kyle Larson during NASCAR’s COVID-19 shutdown earlier this season. The car needed a new driver for next year, and Chastain already had a relationship with Ganassi.

But, as Chastain said, he’s not fully thinking about 2021 yet. There are things he needs to see through first.

Chastain’s 2020 title pursuit continues Saturday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with the Alsco 300 (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“Just be the best I can inside that 10 car this weekend on Saturday, that’s all I can do,” Chastain said. “The best part about being a race-car driver is when I put my Bell helmet on and I latch that chin strap, it changes. It changes me, it changes my mentality. There’s nothing else in the world that matters.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Basking in victory, Joey Gase couldn’t resist the light-hearted dig.

The 27-year-old Gase, who has taken some degree of scorn from Kyle Busch for his pace in underfunded equipment in the NASCAR Cup Series, won in the DNQ Karting Series on Monday night at Millbridge Speedway near Salisbury, North Carolina. On social media, Gase said he pulled a last-lap crossover move to pass Mike Contarino, who has a number in common with Busch — No. 18.

Gase is still looking for his first top-10 finish in the Cup Series, but proudly showed off the trophy he brought home Monday to twin sons Jace and Carson.

Posted on by Staff Report

Majority owner Michael Jordan and minority owner Denny Hamlin announced Sept. 22 their formation of a single-car team, with Bubba Wallace as the driver. Jordan and Hamlin have agreed to purchase a Charter, paving the way for the team’s creation.

RELATED: Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin to start team with Bubba Wallace

It was on Feb. 9, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina, that NASCAR executives and team owners stood together to announce a landmark long-term agreement on an owner Charter system.

The agreement provided teams with an increased business certainty and the ability to work more closely with NASCAR to continue to produce best-in-class racing.

Below are a few key points about the Charter agreement:

— This was announced in 2016 as a long-term agreement. Earlier in 2020, NASCAR President Steve Phelps announced an extension of the Charter system through 2024. “The Charter agreement is delivering stability and long-term value to existing team owners while providing a clear path for ownership in the NASCAR Cup Series,” Phelps said.  ” … A healthy ownership structure ensures strong, competitive racing for our fans, which is a goal the industry collectively shares.”

— There are 36 Charter teams. The number 36 was not pre-determined — back in 2016, NASCAR analyzed which teams showed a long-term commitment to the sport by attempting to qualify every week for the past three years. That criteria yielded 36 Charters.

— A Charter guarantees entry (and therefore, a portion of the purse) into the field of every NASCAR Cup Series points race.

— Teams may sell their Charters on the open market.

— Charter owners may transfer their Charter to another team, for one full season, once over the first five years of the agreement.

— Charter teams are held to a minimum performance standard. If a Charter team finishes in the bottom three of the owner standings among all 36 Charter teams for three consecutive years, NASCAR has a right to remove the charter.

— Organizations now have a hard cap of four cars; there no longer is the ability to run a fifth car for rookie drivers.

— NASCAR Cup Series fields consist of 40 cars — a change made, from 43 cars previously, when the Charter system was initially announced. That means 36 Charter teams are guaranteed to make every points race, and four non-Charter (or “open”) teams will complete the rest of the field.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

Note: This story first appeared in September.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 22, 2020) — eNASCAR and ASUS announced a new partnership Tuesday for the remainder of the season for NASCAR’s premier sim-racing esports series, the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. As part of the agreement, ASUS becomes the “Official Gaming Hardware of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series.” In its 11th season, the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series is the pinnacle of motorsports esports, featuring 40 of the world’s top sim racers in the most environmentally accurate racing experience.

“Our eNASCAR platforms are redefining fan engagement for our sport,” said Tim Clark, NASCAR’s senior vice president and chief digital officer. “This series has grown exponentially through the support of the entire NASCAR community, and partnerships with internationally acclaimed brands like ASUS, with authentic connections to the league, legitimizes that growth.”

Through the agreement, ASUS will market its Republic of Gamers (ROG) product line during in-race broadcasts and on social media. ASUS produces innovative gaming hardware that provides gamers with leading performance, premium features, superior durability and stylish design. Since 2006, ROG has played an active role in the global gaming community through partnerships at events and with gaming personalities as well as organizations.

“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with eNASCAR to bring an unrivaled motorsports esports experience to racing professionals and their fans, both on the track and as a spectator,” said Yen Hoang, senior manager of brand marketing for ASUS North America. “As the new Official Gaming Hardware of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, we’re excited to share our most innovative products to aspiring sim racers and fans so they can compete at their best!”

Established in 1989, ASUS is a multinational company known for producing the world’s best motherboards and high-quality personal computers, monitors, graphic cards, routers and other technology solutions. ASUS is dedicated to innovating, designing and building next-generation technology in order to provide incredible experiences that enhance the lives of people everywhere. From robust ASUS education solutions in physical and virtual classrooms to powerful ProArt devices in movie studios and home offices, ASUS goes above and beyond the status quo to reimagine today’s smart life. The latest innovations from ASUS include world record-setting motherboards such as the Maximus XII Apex, ultra-fast and smooth Wi-Fi 6 connectivity with the gaming-ready RT-AX82U router, and unrivaled gaming hardware performance in products like the ROG Phone 3 and ROG Swift 360 Hz monitor.

The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series is the longest running officially sanctioned esports racing series. The series features some of the world’s best sim racers competing for more than $300,000, one of the richest payouts in esports racing competition. The elite series features NASCAR and professional esports teams, including those established by NASCAR Cup Series drivers William Byron, Austin Dillon and Denny Hamlin.

The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series will be back in action Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on eNASCAR.com/live.

Posted on by Staff Report

The coronavirus pandemic put a bit of a damper on the start of the race season, but changes in plans have helped John Goin and given him a chance to race against some of the best late model drivers in the country.

Goin had planned to run a full season at Dominion Raceway — an .400-mile asphalt oval track in Thornburg, Virginia — this season, with a few trips to South Boston and Motor Mile Speedways as well.

John Goin

Motor Mile canceled its season in April, and South Boston has yet to race this year, but Goin has made the best of 2020, racing at NASCAR-sanctioned tracks Dominion, Larry King Law‘s Langley Speedway — a 0.396-mile slightly banked asphalt oval in Hampton, Virginia,— and Southern National Motorsports Park – a 0.4-mile asphalt oval track in Lucama, North Carolina.

Dominion Raceway | Facebook | Twitter

Traveling between the three tracks has been a chance for Goin to face the best of the best in his rookie season.

“One thing good that‘s come out of it, it‘s allowed me to run against people like Peyton Sellers and Josh Berry and all of your national contenders week after week,” Goin said. “It makes you better to run against good competition.

“That‘s the one thing that‘s been really fun too is going to different tracks and learning what makes you fast at this track and how to get around there.”

In 17 NASCAR races between the three tracks, Goin has one win at Southern National and 10 top-five finishes. He‘s currently 11th in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I points standings.

Goin‘s transition up to a late model was an easy one, and he found success early. In his first time racing a late model, running an exhibition at Dominion last year, he finished second in the first race, and won the second. That ease in the bigger car was a big part of what made Goin and his team want to move up and run late models for a full season this year.

“That kind of got our feet wet last year,” he said. “It was actually a really easy transfer. It really suits my driving style better.”

Langley Speedway | Facebook | Twitter

Goin began racing 11 years ago when he was 13. His father loved racing himself and was a dirt car driver.

“At that time we started going to dirt races together then we went and checked out a go-kart race one time and we just fell in love with it,” he said.

He raced go-karts for about five years before moving to dirt himself.

Goin‘s father passed away in 2012, but his love of racing is something Goin has always carried with him, and “I‘ve been blessed to have good people behind me,” he said.

The 23-year-old ran a full season in the late model sportsman division at Southside Speedway in Virginia last year, and while his team had a great time racing there, they never really had the results they wanted.

“But we learned a whole lot about the cars and got a lot of seat time racing against guys that had raced for a long time,” he said.

Southern National Motorsports Park | Facebook | Twitter

John Goin

Everybody on his team came together and decided to try something different for 2020. Goin‘s stepdad, Bo Collins, became the owner for his late model this year.

“My stepdad and myself, we went to a lot of late model races and watched some of your bigger names run and always admired how clean and how hard the racing was,” Goin said.

“It was always something, before my stepdad became involved with me, I just really hadn‘t had the funds to do but now that I‘ve got the funds behind me because of him to do it, it makes a big difference because that was something we really wanted to do big time. That‘s been fun.”

The team also has help from Craig Oliver building the chassis and providing coaching and Sammy Houston doing setups and spending time in the shop. Goin‘s biggest struggle this year has been finding consistency, which Oliver has helped him improve.

Having grown up in a dirt car, Goin said a late model is better for the way he likes to drive.

“I was used to a wider tire so when I went for a couple years on the small tires it took me a long time to get adjusted running that,” he said. “Then when I kind of went back to a bigger tire, something that‘s more durable and you can drive the car harder, it‘s really worked better for me because I can do more stuff that I‘m capable of doing. I usually overdrive instead of underdrive so it makes up for that.”

Goin‘s goal coming into the season was to get the Virginia Rookie of the Year award, which he currently leads in the points. Now that he‘s seen success on the track, his new goal is to win at least one more race and finish in the top 10 in the national points.

NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division I standings

No matter where he finishes, Goin has proven to himself and others that he can race with the best of them.

“It‘s definitely been a good rookie year. I‘ve got good people that work behind me,” he said.

“I love competition. I love racing and having the challenge of beating other drivers who have won a lot before… And just seeing how I stack up against other guys knowing that they‘re trying their hardest and I‘m trying my hardest. It‘s fun. It‘s fun also when you‘ve got great guys behind you that make it fun for you and make you a better driver.”

Goin will race at Dominion Raceway this Saturday, a night that will feature twin-60s late models, modifieds, Virginia Racers, U Cars, INEX Legends, and INEX Bandos.

Posted on by Staff Report

You can‘t blame Justin Bonsignore for having a love-hate relationship with Stafford Motor Speedway.

The Connecticut half-mile is the one track on the 2020 schedule that the Long Island driver has yet to win at. But it‘s also the track where he clinched his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship in 2018, and came put a hammerlock on this year‘s title with a strong run on Saturday in the NAPA Auto Parts 150.

There are (limited) tickets available to see this race in person, and the race will also be streamed live on TrackPass on NBC Gold.

NAPA Auto Parts 150

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Bonsignore came up short of the Musket 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway two weeks ago, but there was silver lining, as he gained nine points on six-time champion Doug Coby.

Stafford Nwmt Logo

That pushed Bonsignore‘s lead to 27 points with two races remaining — Stafford and the finale on Oct. 11 at Connecticut‘s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.

Bonsignore clinched the 2018 title in that season‘s penultimate race at Stafford, which was won by his cousin, Kyle Bonsignore.

Stafford has suited Coby well. In addition to being a former track champion in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series at the track, Coby has 12 Whelen Modified Tour wins — tied with the late Ted Christopher for second all-time. Coby has won six of the last 14 events. On the flip side, Justin Bonsignore has four runner-up finishes, including last year‘s Fall Final at Stafford.

In addition to Kyle Bonsignore (2018), Craig Lutz scored his first career Whelen Modified Tour win in last fall‘s race at Stafford. Lutz sits fourth in points after picking up his second career win earlier this season, and is just six points behind third-place Jon McKennedy. Dave Sapienza is fifth in points after m

issing most of last season with a back-injury and is having his best career points performance in this abbreviated season.

Craig Lutz and Jon McKennedy both lost significant ground to Bonsignore in the championship chase at Monadnock. But Lutz has two third-place finishes at Thompson in his last three races there, while McKennedy finished fourth at the World Series finale last year.

Ron Silk also has a pair of Tour wins at Stafford, including one last season.

RACING REFERENCE: Previous NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races at Stafford | NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour drivers career stats at Stafford | 2020 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Standings

RACE FACTS

RACE

NAPA AUTO PARTS 150

PLACE

 Stafford Motor Speedway, Stafford, Conn.

DATE

Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020

TIME

6 p.m. ET

TELEVISION/RADIO

Trackpass on NBC Gold (live), 4 p.m. ET; NBCSN — Thursday, Oct. 15, 6 p.m. ET

TRACK LAYOUT

half-mile paved oval

EVENT SCHEDULE

Saturday, Sept. 26 — Garage opens: 10:15 a.m. ET; Practice: 1:20-2:20 p.m.; Qualifying: 4 p.m.; NAPA Auto Parts 150: 6 p.m.

TWITTER

@StaffordSpeedwy, @NASCARRoots

HASHTAG

#NWMT

RACE CENTER | ENTRY LIST | RACE SCHEDULE

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the NAPA Auto Parts 150 is limited to 32, including provisional positions. The field will be set by qualifying (1-30) and provisional process per the entry blank (31-36) for the NAPA Auto Parts 150. In the event that qualifying as stated on this entry blank does not take place for any unforeseen circumstance, the field will be set in accordance with the 2020 NASCAR Touring Series Rule Book.

QUALIFYING: Two consecutive qualifying laps. Faster lap determines qualifying position. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on the vehicle after the vehicle has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. Vehicles will be impounded after qualifying. Vehicle must qualify on race set up.

The NAPA Auto Parts 150 will be 150 laps (93.75 miles) and is to be run in one (1) segments. The tire change rule is four (4) tires, any position. To utilize the third change tire, teams will designate a practice tire purchased at Stafford Motor Speedway to be the fourth change tire.

The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows: Four (4) for qualifying and to start the race, plus an additional seven (7) for a total of eleven (11) tires.

Posted on by NASCAR Statement

“We proudly welcome Michael Jordan into the NASCAR family, and look forward to watching Michael, Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace compete in 2021. Michael is an iconic sports figure and celebrated champion whose fiercely competitive nature has placed him among the greatest athletes of all time. His presence at NASCAR’s top level will further strengthen the competition, excitement and momentum growing around our sport. We wish Michael and his team tremendous success.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Basketball legend Michael Jordan has agreed to purchase a NASCAR Cup Series Charter and Bubba Wallace will be the driver for “His Airness” and partner Denny Hamlin when the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season begins.

Jordan, widely considered to be the greatest basketball player of all time and current owner of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, will be the majority owner of a NASCAR Cup Series team. Wallace, the series’ lone Black driver in the midst of a career-best season, has found a home after announcing earlier this month that he would not return to Richard Petty Motorsports.

RELATED: Silly Season’s key figures

Also announced Monday was news that Hamlin would also be a minority owner of the single-car team. Hamlin has long been connected to Jordan through the latter’s Jordan Brand, and the two are close friends.

“Growing up in North Carolina, my parents would take my brothers, sisters and me to races, and I’ve been a NASCAR fan my whole life,” Jordan said in a news release. “The opportunity to own my own racing team in partnership with my friend, Denny Hamlin, and to have Bubba Wallace driving for us, is very exciting for me. Historically, NASCAR has struggled with diversity and there have been few Black owners. The timing seemed perfect as NASCAR is evolving and embracing social change more and more.

“In addition to the recent commitment and donations I have made to combat systemic racism, I see this as a chance to educate a new audience and open more opportunities for Black people in racing.”

The Jordan-Hamlin ownership group indicated that the organization’s name, manufacturer affiliation, car number, sponsors and other details would be announced later. The group indicated that it struck an agreement to acquire the team charter from Germain Racing.

Hamlin will remain a driver of the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, where his Cup Series career began in 2005. He has six wins this year and is one of the favorites to win the 2020 championship.

Hamlin said he met Jordan at a Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) game 11 years ago. Their friendship blossomed as he became the first NASCAR driver with an endorsement by Jordan Brand, and Monday night’s announcement was a next-level extension of their partnership.

Though other details of the new team’s formation had not been announced, Hamlin said “deciding on a driver was easy — it had to be Bubba Wallace.”

Wallace has made 105 career starts at NASCAR’s top level, all of them with RPM. He has five top-10 finishes this year, including a fifth-place run in the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway, which is also site of his career-best finish – runner-up in the 2018 Daytona 500.

Wallace announced Sept. 10 that he would leave Richard Petty Motorsports, the team that gave him his start with a four-race audition in 2017 before hiring him full-time the following season. He’ll leave at the end of this season with an enduring memento — the famed curlicued signature of team owner Richard Petty tattooed on his right leg.

The news is the latest development in a season of personal growth for Wallace, who has championed causes that fight racial injustice. Wallace has found his voice in the quest for social change and has welcomed others in the NASCAR industry to join him in solidarity.

“Bubba has shown tremendous improvement since joining the Cup Series and we believe he’s ready to take his career to a higher level,” Hamlin said on social media. “He deserves the opportunity to compete for race wins and our team will make sure he has the resources to do just that. Off the track, Bubba has been a loud voice for change in our sport and our country. MJ and I support him fully in those efforts and stand beside him.”

Said Wallace: “This is a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I believe is a great fit for me at this point in my career. Both Michael and Denny are great competitors and are focused on building the best team they possibly can to go out and compete for race wins. I’m grateful and humbled that Michael and Denny believe in me and I’m super pumped to begin this adventure with them.”

Jordan has attended several NASCAR races over the years, most recently the 2019 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway when Hamlin was in the Championship 4 and competing for his first championship.

“I’m a big race fan,” Jordan told NBC’s Dale Earnhardt Jr., who did the interview. “Started off when I was a kid and I grew up watching (Dale Earnhardt), Richard Petty … Cale Yarborough was an original 11 that I remember. Now I’m good friends with Denny Hamlin and we go way back. … I’m a big NASCAR fan, so I came out to support him.”

NASCAR President Steve Phelps confirmed during a pre-playoffs roundtable with reporters on Sept. 1 that it’s possible for a current driver of a four-car team to own all or part of another team – but that NASCAR would have to ensure fair competition. Additionally, Phelps added the NASCAR Charter system and development of the Next Gen car – which will debut in 2022 – has created a surge of ownership interest.

“On the expense side, I think that what we’ve done, working with our teams and our OEMs to pull costs out of the system. From that perspective, I think it’s improving,” Phelps said. He also suggested that the number of new owners trying to get into this sport “has never been higher” and that he’s seen “a ton of enthusiasm” for future team ownership under the current business model.

Posted on by Staff Report

Ross Chastain will drive the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series starting in 2021, the team announced Monday.

Chastain, who currently has a full-time ride in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing, will take over for Matt Kenseth, who has held the seat since May after Kyle Larson was dismissed for using a racial slur during an iRacing event.

Chastain currently is preparing for the Xfinity Series Playoffs starting Saturday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The 27-year-old driver is ranked eighth entering the playoffs and has 23 top-10 finishes in 26 races this season. He has two career Xfinity wins in 184 starts over the past seven years.

RELATED: Silly Season’s key figures | Xfinity Series standings

The first of those Xfinity wins came in 2018 with Ganassi, who indicated in an interview after Kenseth’s hiring that Chastain was “still a part of this team, and I hope Ross has a future with this team.” Monday, the team owner elevated him to full-time in the Cup Series.

“Ross has been a part of this organization for a few years now, and I am happy to announce him as our driver for the No. 42 team,” Ganassi said in a release provided by the team. “In three races with our organization in 2018 and watching ever since, he showed me and everyone else that he is a tenacious driver who wants to win. We believe that Ross will give our team the opportunity to be competitive each week and our sponsors someone to build a program around. Additionally, his racing background has him well-suited to make the move to the Cup Series.”

Chastain became emotional at Bristol Motor Speedway after his most recent Xfinity Series finish on Friday, when he recorded his fifth second-place result in what’s so far been a winless season. When asked post-race about a potential opportunity with Ganassi’s No. 42 team, Chastain said he’d jump at the chance.

“Are you kidding me? Of course,” Chastain said. “Everybody in this entire garage would. Yeah, who wouldn’t?”

He echoed those sentiments Monday.

“I can’t thank Chip enough for this opportunity,” Chastain said. “The faith he and the organization showed me back in 2018 was a real turning point in my career, and I am extremely happy for the chance to join the team again especially with all the great guys they have on the 42 and to be able to team with a champion like Kurt Busch. Racing in the Cup Series with a serious contender has always been my goal, and I’m looking forward to joining what is a very strong team. I know I have my work cut out for me, but I’m ready to get to work and help bring more success to the organization.”

Kenseth returned to the Cup Series after the COVID-19 shutdown. The 2003 series champion, Kenseth had not driven in the Cup Series since running a partial schedule with Roush Fenway Racing in 2018.

Kenseth’s best finish this season was a runner-up effort at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July, marking his only top five in his return. The 48-year-old veteran sits 25th in points after missing the first four races of the season, and the CGR No. 42 team changed crew chiefs — Phil Surgen in for Chad Johnston — ahead of the Cup Series’ doubleheader weekend at Michigan last month.

Chastain also has three wins in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, coming in 91 starts over 10 years. He has made 79 career Cup Series starts with one top-10 finish, 10th in the 2019 Daytona 500 for owner Jay Robinson.

Chastain has been among the most prolific participants in all three NASCAR national series in recent years, frequently making double-duty appearances during race weekends. He has made 43 national-series starts this year, down from 77 last season and 74 in 2018 as he has tried to concentrate more on his Xfinity efforts with the Kaulig organization.

Chastain is a 12-generation watermelon farmer from Alva, Florida. He has embraced the “Melon Man” nickname and has punctuated his NASCAR wins by smashing watermelons on the track or in Victory Lane.

Posted on by Staff Report

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NASCAR and Riverhead Raceway announced Monday that the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 200 scheduled for Oct. 17 has been cancelled. This breaks a 35-year streak of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour action at the historic quarter-mile oval, a place where NASCAR Hall of Fame drivers like Richie Evans and Mike Stefanik added to their legendary racing resumes.

“We‘re heartbroken for the track, our competitors and most importantly our fans who are struggling during this trying time,” said NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Director Jimmy Wilson. “We look forward to when we can return to Riverhead and continue adding to its rich legacy of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour racing.”

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour will continue its season at 6 p.m. ET Saturday at Connecticut‘s Stafford Motor Speedway. It will conclude a nine-race championship schedule on Oct. 11 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Connecticut.

Fans can watch both races live on TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold and get the latest news on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at NASCAR.com/roots.