Do or Die for Chastain at Charlotte Roval
No. 1 Team Arrives at Transfer Race 13 Points Below Cutoff
NASCAR holds the sixth of 10 Playoff races and the final of three second-round races Sunday on the ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain enters the road course race ninth of 12 drivers in the playoffs, just 13 points below the cutoff. To advance to the third round, he'll need to be above the cutline after Sunday's race.
NASCAR will eliminate four drivers from the playoffs every three races until the final four drivers battle for the championship in a winner-take-all race at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, on Nov. 2.
Teammates Shane van Gisbergen and Daniel Suárez should both be in a group of favorites battling for victory Sunday.
Enjoy Wendy's Nuggets or Frosty on Us!!!
ROSS CHASTAIN
Busch Light Iconic: This weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL – an iconic track in the heart of NASCAR history - Ross Chastain will be bringing Busch Light’s equally ‘Iconic’ paint scheme to the stage. Home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame where true legends of the sport are celebrated, it’s only fitting that Chastain takes the track in the No. 1 car featuring Busch Light’s legendary blue and white design. The ‘Iconic’ paint scheme features a vibrant mountain landscape design across the full car in Busch Light’s classic colors. The top of the trunk reads, “Race For The Mountains,” with the Busch Light logo appearing on the hood, roof, trunk and sides of the car.
Chastain at ROVAL: Chastain will make his seventh Cup Series start on the ROVAL at Charlotte on Sunday. He has a best finish of 10th at the 2.42-mile course earned in October 2023.
Hear Chastain: On Friday, Chastain will join the Performance Radio Network broadcast booth to call the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Playoff Position: Chastain’s 11th-place finish last weekend at Kansas Speedway leaves him 13 points below the Round of 8 cutline. This weekend at the Charlotte ROVAL gives him one final chance to earn enough points to advance into the Round of 8.
Meet Chastain: On Sunday at 10:55 a.m. ET, Chastain will sign autographs at the Trackhouse Racing merchandise hauler located in the Fan Zone - wristband required. At 11:30 a.m., he'll appear for a Q&A at the Trackside Live stage located in the Fan Zone.
Last Weekend at Kansas: Chastain raced in the top-10 most of the day but suffered some right-side damage from contact with another car on a restart with 50 laps to go. He ran hard through a regulation restart and overtime but slipped back to 11th.
Crew Chief: Chastain and crew chief Phil Surgen have worked together since 2021. The duo is the third longest active driver and crew chief pairing.
Most Wins for No. 1 Car in Cup Series: The No. 1 car has been to victory lane six times with Chastain since 2022, the most wins by a driver with that number. Jamie McMurray previously held the record with four victories in the No. 1 car.
Chastain Quotes
What do you need to be able to go to the Round of 8?
“Be on the throttle more. More time on the gas, more speed.”
What is the strategy for the Roval race to get to the next round?
"Phil Surgen and the guys get to figure out how to get stage points and set ourselves up for the end of the race. A lot of it depends on speed. If we're fast enough to battle with SVG, then we don't care as much about stage points because we're fast and we just go win the race."
About Busch Light:
Busch Light is made with exceptional ingredients and has a crisp, refreshing taste that is as cold and smooth as a mountain stream. The beer brewed for the great outdoors takes cracking a cold one and heading for the mountains seriously, with passion points rooted in fishing, hunting, farming, NASCAR and country music. With focus and investment on meeting fans where they already are with a Busch Light in hand, the brand has experienced consistent growth since 2019. The Busch brand name represents a family of products including Busch Beer, Busch Light, Busch Ice and Busch NA. For more information, visit www.busch.com and follow Busch Light on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
SHANE VAN GISBERGEN
Seeking Fifth Win of the Season: On Sunday, Shane van Gisbergen will make his second Cup Series start on the 2.42-mile oval configurated road course at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Last season at the ROVAL, Van Gisbergen piloted the No. 13 Kaulig Racing entry and started in the pole position, his first Cup Series Career pole. Van Gisbergen recorded a seventh-place finish after getting spun in the final stage.
First Top-10 Oval Finish: Last Sunday at Kansas Speedway, Van Gisbergen recorded his best oval finish in his career, made more impressive by starting a lap behind the field after a penalty forced an opening-lap stop-and-go pitstop. His previous best oval finish was a 12th-place finish at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in 2024. Sunday's finish also marked his 10th top-10 of his 45 Cup race career.
Cup Series Road Course Stats: Arguably one of the best NASCAR road course racers in history, Van Gisbergen has captured five victories, four pole positions, nine top-10's and six top-5's. Van Gisbergen has never finished outside of the top-10 on a road course.
Meet SVG: On Sunday at 11 a.m. local time, Van Gisbergen will sign autographs at the Trackhouse Racing merchandise hauler located in the Fan Zone - wristband required. After that, he will make an appearance at the Chevrolet Display in the Fan Zone at 11:35 a.m. to answer questions from fans.
Rookie Records: Van Gisbergen now holds the record of most wins by a Sunoco Rookie in a single season (four). The Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International victory makes Van Gisbergen the fastest driver to five Cup Series wins since Dan Gurney in 1968. Following his Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway win, Van Gisbergen became the first driver since Jeff Gordon to win three consecutive road course Cup races from the pole. The Auckland, New Zealand native is the only driver not from the United States to win at least four NASCAR Cup Series races.
Two-Time Inaugural Race Winner: Van Gisbergen has etched himself into the NASCAR history books by winning two inaugural NASCAR Cup Series races. The New Zealand native captured the win in the first-ever Mexico City race in June, and in 2023, Van Gisbergen won his debut Cup Series race with Trackhouse's PROJECT91 at the Chicago Street Race.
Winning Crew Chief: After the August victory at Watkins Glen, Stephen Doran is now a four-time winning crew chief. Doran's first win as a Cup Series Crew Chief in June at Mexico City with Van Gisbergen. Doran is in his first season as Van Gisbergen's crew chief on the No. 88 Chevrolet and his second year as a crew chief at the Cup level.
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Multiyear Extension: What began as a one-off PROJECT91 race in 2023, continued as a successful Xfinity Series campaign in 2024 and turned into a record-breaking NASCAR Cup Series run in 2025, will continue for years to come as Shane van Gisbergen and Trackhouse Racing announced a multi-year contract extension. The agreement will keep the former V8 Supercars driver at Trackhouse Racing.
Van Gisbergen Quotes
Your first top-10 on an oval last weekend at Kansas, how does it feel?
"I think it's been awesome! To win the number of races that we have and then to show the improvement we have made over the last few months. We didn't have a great start to the season, and it's been a steady progression. I think we can be proud of that and know that we didn't expect to set the world on fire on the ovals, but I think we have done pretty well this season getting better and better."
Heading into the Roval, how excited are you to get back on a road course?
"I'm excited. I always enjoy turning right (laughs). It's a track I've been too before, and I did decent there last year in both Cup and Xfinity. It's definitely a little different than your average road course, but it's a lot of fun. Hopefully it will be a great weekend!"
About WeatherTech:
For decades, WeatherTech has delivered on its promise of quality and craftsmanship through a commitment to American-made auto, home and pet products. Globally renowned for its laser-measured FloorLiner™ and innovative CupFone®, the Bolingbrook, Illinois headquartered company continues to push industry boundaries through superior design, engineering and international brand recognition. More information can be found at weathertech.com.
DANIEL SUAREZ
National Hispanic Heritage Month: National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed annually from September 15 to October 15 in the United States, celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. The observance began as Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded to a month-long celebration in 1988 under President Ronald Reagan. Daniel Suárez is the first Mexican driver to win a Cup Series race.
Last Weekend in Kansas: Suárez scored a 17th-place finish on the lead lap. He struggled with handling issues early on but the team made adjustments throughout the 400-mile race to improve the overall balance on the No. 99 Chevrolet. Suárez twice regained a lost lap on the way to a respectable finish.
Suárez at the ROVAL: Suárez will be making his eighth Cup Series start at the ROVAL this weekend. In seven previous starts at the 2.42-mile road course, Suárez has completed 759 of 766 laps (99.08 percent). His best finish (13th-place) came in 2021, his first year with Trackhouse Racing.
Choice Privileges® Paint Scheme: The Choice Privileges® 2025 paint scheme makes its fifth appearance of the season with Suárez this weekend in New Hampshire.
Choice Privileges®: Choice Privileges®, the award-winning rewards program of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) As part of the continued reinvigoration of the program, Choice Privileges® is offering exclusive VIP experience passes for races throughout the season. Choice Privileges® is increasingly strengthening rewards and opportunities for members following the successful college football, basketball, music and hockey experiences previously offered.
Join Choice Privileges®: Throughout the season, Choice Privileges® is offering exclusive redeemable experiences for members. The new experiences will include access to the Trackhouse garage and pit road prior to the race; a tour of the garage and pit road; meet and greet with the pit crew and driver, Daniel Suárez; and pre-race hospitality with food and drink. For more information or to enroll in Choice Privileges®, visit www.choicehotels.com/choice-privileges.
Career: Suárez owns two victories (Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway 2022 and Atlanta Motor Speedway 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.
Personal Life: Suárez married Julia Piquet, daughter of three-time Formula One World Champion Nelson Piquet, at a ceremony on July 30 in Brazil. The couple took a delayed honeymoon trip to Japan in the offseason. He is also now a dual citizen of Mexico and the United States. He took the American Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony on June 18 in front of media, friends, the NASCAR industry and NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps, who gave the keynote address to the 48 new citizens from 28 countries who joined Suárez at the ceremony. The 33-year-old Monterrey, Mexico native arrived in America about 13 years ago, unable to speak English.
Mexico Success: Suárez returned to his native country in June as NASCAR held its inaugural race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. A week of fan and media activity included a 19th-place finish in the Cup race. But few will forget his drive from last place to first in the No. 9 Quaker State Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series race and the celebration in front of the raucous fans. It marked the first time in any NASCAR series that a driver had done that on a road course. His victory, coupled with Van Gisbergen's, marks the first time since 2009 that international drivers have swept a race weekend.
Trackhouse Racing and Suárez Agree to Part Ways: Trackhouse Racing and Suárez announced on July 1 that they have mutually decided to conclude their partnership following the 2025 season. The move allows Suárez to pursue new opportunities in his racing career.
2026: Trackhouse Development driver and Xfinity racer Connor Zilisch will join Trackhouse's Cup lineup in 2026. Trackhouse announced on Sept. 23 that Randall Burnett will serve as Zilisch's crew chief in 2026.
Suárez Quotes
You have a win and a pole position at the Cup level on road courses. How much do you like road racing?
""I really like road course racing and I think we will be competitive this weekend at the ROVAL. I want to thank everyone at Choice Privileges for their support this season. We have been consistent at the ROVAL over the last few races and I think we can be even more competitive this weekend."
About Choice Privileges ®:
The award-winning Choice Privileges rewards program enables members to earn and redeem points for reward nights at over 7,100 Choice-branded hotels across a diverse portfolio of brands in 46 countries and territories. Points can also be earned and/or redeemed with partners like Westgate Resorts, Bluegreen Vacations, Penn Entertainment, and the iconic Treasure Island Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Members can also exchange points for airline miles or redeem them for gift cards with popular restaurants and retail stores, stays at the luxurious Preferred Hotels & Resorts, and even VIP college football experiences. Choice Privileges Mastercard holders can earn more points faster, including on everyday spending. To enroll in the free Choice Privileges program or learn more about the Choice Privileges Mastercard credit cards, visit www.choicehotels.com/choice-privileges.
