Trackhouse Racing needed that breakthrough win. Justin Marks’ team has won nine Cup Series races since 2021, but none of them have been as significant as Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. The odds were stacked against them, especially after Ross Chastain blew a tire and crashed in practice and began the crown jewel event in 40th place. At a time when NASCAR’s highest level is largely being dominated by Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Team Penske, the triumph meant the world to the little guys.

It wasn’t just about Chastain’s win either, but Shane van Gisbergen’s dramatic resurgence as well. Has Trackhouse finally turned a corner after years of hard work? Denny Hamlin certainly seems to think so, if his recent comments on the Actions Detrimental podcast are anything to go by.

Denny Hamlin gives credit where it’s due

Trackhouse Racing’s ambition is unquestionable. The team has three full-time drivers in the Cup Series, Ross Chastain, Daniel Suárez, and Shane van Gisbergen, while developmental driver Connor Zilisch, who is widely considered a ‘generational talent’, also got a start at the Coca-Cola 600. While the 18-year-old finished 23rd at ‘America’s Home for Racing’, Shane van Gisbergen ended with a career-high oval Cup race finish at 14th, and Chastain went from rock-bottom to first at the Coke 600.

However, leading into this race, no one expected Trackhouse to do well. Chastain has been their only bright light season, accumulating more top-10 finishes (7) than SVG and Suarez combined (4)! So, watching two Trackhouse cars finish in the top-15 with one getting the win impressed Hamlin, who shared his thoughts on the Actions Detrimental podcast. The veteran said, “We need to give credit to Trackhouse this weekend. We’ve been pretty hard on them, their lack of speed, lack of everything to start the year. But they absolutely showed up.” Hamlin went on to say, “It wasn’t just him (Chastain), it was Shane as well. Shane has run 30th in most races, and he got a great finish in 14th.”

Looking ahead at the Cup Series schedule, Hamlin also pointed out that Nashville, being slightly smaller but still a relatively high-speed oval, will be the true test for Trackhouse’s speed, and he expects them to do well. The veteran added, “You could use Nashville as another kind of baseline to it. While it’s not as fast as Charlotte, the setups will have similar characteristics to it. You could say, is it just a Charlotte thing or a car speed thing that they found? We’ll know that this weekend.” With both tracks being intermediate ovals, the setup certainly does sway in Trackhouse’s favor after their display at Charlotte, and besides Chastain, eyes will be on SVG as well.

Starting in 30th place, Shane van Gisbergen also had his work cut out for him at Charlotte Motor Speedway. While the Kiwi has cemented his reputation as a proficient road course racer, being able to climb the grid on a quad-oval track as the laps ticked on to finish 14th highlights just how well the No. 88 Chevy performed. The same can be said about Ross Chastain, with Denny Hamlin even saying, “They had the real speed” at the intermediate track.

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Justin Marks hails Next-Gen cars for closing the gap

It was never going to be easy. When Trackhouse Racing entered the Cup Series scene in 2020, the team had clear ambitions already set in stone. Competing against NASCAR’s heavyweights was always going to be an uphill task, but one that Justin Marks and Pitbull were willing to meet head-on, investing considerable money and resources to make the team a force to be reckoned with. Five years have passed since then, and while the progress has been anything but linear, the team has made great strides on the track.

With the Next-Gen cars using single-source suppliers, smaller teams are finding it easier to compete against Joe Gibbs Racing, Team Penske, and Hendrick Motorsports. Giving credit where it’s due, Justin Marks said, “I would not have started Trackhouse and raced in the Cup Series if they didn’t go to this race car because that provides an opportunity to close the gap.”

However, despite the evident boost in speed, as seen at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the team owner isn’t resting on his laurels just yet. Highlighting where there is room for improvement, the team owner said, “We’re looking at things like developing a more robust aero department, looking at the way we structure our engineering, looking at those things to make sure we get back on the development curve with those three.”

NASCAR has always been a sport defined by fine margins, and making gains on the track requires consistent research and innovation. Trackhouse Racing is leaving no stone unturned in that regard, and their consistent efforts are finally paying off with on-track results. Could Chastain potentially make a strong playoff push this year, like he did in 2022? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!