February 21, 2020 | By Lee Spencer

Chastain is up for the challenge as NASCAR's newest super sub

LAS VEGAS—Ross Chastain answered the call for Roush Fenway Racing on Friday. 

Filling in for the sidelined Ryan Newman in the No. 6 Wyndham Rewards Ford, Chastain made the transition appear effortless. The 27-year-old racer posted the sixth fastest single-lap run in Happy Hour but led the 15-lap averages and was third-quick in his 10-lap runs.

Although Chastain has 72 NASCAR Cup starts, he has never competed with a team of Roush Fenway Racing’s stature. That will change on Sunday. 

“I absolutely hate how it came about,” Chastain said. “So happy that everything is looking better for Ryan. Just incredibly humbled they called me. Never thought in a million years that Jack Roush would want me to drive one of his Cup cars, so just very humbled.”

The watermelon farmer from Alva, Florida, has excelled in NASCAR’s two feeder series—the Gander RV & Outdoor Trucks and Xfinity tours. Despite initially declaring he was running for the NXS championship last year, Chastain called an audible and changed his status to trucks with Niece Motorsports. He won three races, scored 19 top 10s in 23 starts and finished second in the truck standings.

In the Xfinity Series, Chastain appeared to be just another journeyman racer with Johnny Davis before Chip Ganassi offered him an opportunity to share driving duties with Kyle Larson, John Hunter Nemechek and Justin Marks. In three races in Ganassi's No. 42 Chevy, Chastain won the pole at Darlington in his first start, won at Las Vegas in his second start and finished second the following week at Richmond.

“It’s not ideal, but it’s about being with the right team at the right time, whether it’s with Al (Niece) or Kaulig Racing (in the Xfinity Series),” Chastain said. “I haven’t been there for their very first race, but I feel like I’ve been there at the right time. At the end of the day, I just drive these race cars. It’s the teams that make them go fast.”

This weekend, Chastain is running triple duty, which is not unusual for the driver. On Friday, he finished 14th with Niece Motorsports in the Strat 200 truck race. Saturday, Chastain will qualify his Xfinity ride in the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet, then run back to the Cup garage to qualify the No. 6 Ford with Roush. 

On the Cup side of the garage, Chastain has never had top-level equipment to showcase his talent. He plans on making the most of this opportunity.

“The team has made it so easy,” Chastain said. “I think the best part for me is that it was so short notice that I didn’t have time to overthink it. I just had a few days to prepare from the first time they called. I was in the shop four or five hours later and sitting in the seat. It happened fast, and that was probably the best-case scenario for me.

“They made it simple and the car is fast. You’ve seen Ryan have speed. Now it’s just time for me to do my job.”