Ross Chastain came into Kansas after a reasonably decent performance in Darlington. A P5 finish in the Cook Out Southern 500 was a good sign for Trackhouse Racing, potentially indicating a great show at the Kansas Speedway. However, this was not the first good news Lady Luck had in stock for Chastain.

With Kevin Harvick set to depart from racing at the end of this season, his primary sponsor, Anheuser-Busch had been on the lookout for a new driver for a long time. However, their search ended with finalizing Chastain as the driver to represent their brand in 2024. To add to their happiness, news of billionaire Bill Gates joining the fray has also bolstered their confidence. But too much of anything can be detrimental and it seems to have been the case with Chastain in Kansas.

Ross Chastain slapped with a big penalty after a massive blunder

The hopes to find a good finish at Kansas were crushed partially for Ross Chastain. Race officials handed the #1 team a penalty that sent him to the back row of the grid. The reason for it? A critical mistake that could have been avoided easily.

One of the crew members of the #1 team was found encroaching on the limited area by jumping over the wall earlier than allowed. Undoubtedly, the Watermelon Man will be disappointed with this incident, considering he was looking out for openings on the track to make his way forward in the second stage.

He continued to hustle for a higher position in the final moments of the second stage. Having gained pace in his pursuit of a higher finish, he recovered well to finish P24 in stage 2, eventually climbing up to the 13th spot by the end of the race.

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Despite the blunder, Chastain will have something to celebrate after tying up with Bill Gates

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust chimed in on the conversation related to Chastain’s new sponsor Anheuser-Busch. The organization has apparently bought a stake worth a whopping $95 million. The deal comes as a sigh of relief for the beverage company which has been on the downward slope due to decreasing sales across the country,

According to reports, 1.7 million shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev have been bought by their latest stakeholder which makes them a significant partner for the company. With Chastain sealing the deal for 2024 with Harvick’s former long-time sponsor, there is also an added onus on him.

The introduction of major players like the Microsoft owner into the equation implies more pressure on the drivers to elevate his and the team’s standards and performances. However, looking at the grand scheme of things, the deal is another positive in the goals of Justin Marks. Marks has been pivotal in finding new opportunities for the team and even luring drivers from outside the sport like Shane van Gisbergen for Project 91.

As for the team’s showing at Kansas, their fans will be hoping for a late revival for Ross Chastain just like the Bill Gates-owned organization put their confidence in Anheuser-Busch to turn around their declining market status.

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