Ross Chastain's Improved Racecraft Canceled Out by Trackhouse Racing's Decline in Speed
4 months agoIn one sense, Ross Chastain has markedly improved, as he is causing fewer wrecks than he used to and is beating his Trackhouse Racing teammate, Daniel Suárez, substantially worse in both speed and finishes than he ever has before. However, it's easy to argue that Chastain is underachieving because he sits 12th in points despite ranking eighth in speed, his best finish is fourth, he's failed to win (unlike Suárez), and he's been the last driver passed for the lead four times. His record at Pocono is also odd as he has no top-10s but he led twice in 2021 and 2022 before crashing in both races. On a track where raw speed is so essential in a year where Trackhouse has lacked it, Chastain will probably have a mediocre run this weekend, especially starting from 19th, but since he's gained consistency, he will probably finish just outside the top top--as usual.
Source: Racing Reference
Source: Racing Reference