Expanding the horizon of driving talent has opened up new possibilities for NASCAR. Over the years, the community has seen many stars from various forms of motorsports join the sport and make a name in it. Be it Kimi Raikkonen, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jenson Button, or the newly heralded Chicago Street Race champion Shane van Gisbergen, everyone has done their bit. However, Gisbergen, on his Cup Series debut, managed to put some drivers to shame on a historic afternoon in Chicago. One of the drivers happens to be fellow Trackhouse Racing team driver Ross Chastain.

Speaking to NBC in a pre-race interview, Chastain disclosed his feelings about the presence of expert road course drivers like SVG and Daniel Suarez in the team. With the approaching rainfall delaying the start of the race, Chastain also shed light on how the strengths of his teammates have compelled him to grow as a driver.

“I’m the outlier here”: Ross Chastain opens up about his inability

Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 has been crucial in attracting stars. Team owner Justin Marks has also put special importance on the future plans under this project, as it looks like one of the biggest steps forward in making NASCAR a globally well-received sport. As for their roster apart from it, Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez have been essential to the team’s plans this year. With the Watermelon Man already sealing a place in the playoffs at Nashville, the team will be focusing on giving their best to put Suarez in the playoffs as well.

Speaking about his feelings around SVG returning to the team and how it changes the dynamics between the drivers, the 30-year-old said,

“I mean, last time it was a lot of okay he’s doing things differently, but we have our processes so let’s go to the weekend how we normally would. We looked at it, but I didn’t put much thought into it, and when we got to the track, I realized, oh boy, I’m the outlier here.”

Chastain arrived in Chicago on the back of his win in Nashville. While the downpour eventually shortened the race, SVG raced to win beating off the competition from Chase Elliott and Justin Haley, among several others. Expressing his discontent over being less adaptive and a lack of strong performances on street race courses like Chicago, Ross added,

“I’m the one that’s off pace, I’m the one that can’t make any lap time in Chicago. This week will be different. I will pay attention more when whenever we’re in similar air to Daniel and him. I still feel like I’m the weakest road course racer compared to Daniel and then definitely compared to Shane. I mean, he’s using one foot for both gas and brake!”

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SVG is on his way to make oval debut in Truck Series

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Only a month after his NASCAR Cup Series debut, van Gisbergen has already announced his return with a race in the lower divisions of the sport. Trying to acclimatize to the change in racing conditions, he will run for the second time in a Trackhouse jumpsuit. But his first race in Indianapolis is not in a Chevrolet car, but rather a truck.

He scored a Craftsman Truck Series debut with Niece Motorsports, which ensures an appearance in the #41 truck on August 11. What’s more to his debut is that this race will also be his first time driving on a NASCAR oval track. A new experience for the new man. In recent weeks, a lot of speculation has been made about his future and naturally, he recently addressed it. Expressing his desire to understand the way the Cup Series works and hinting at a possible full-time switch, speaking to Motorsport.com, he said,

“When I study it, Marcos [Ambrose] did three years before he went to Cup full-time. [Juan Pablo] Montoya was pretty much a full season as well. Nobody has ever gone into Cup. And I have no illusion that those ovals are going to be easy. It’s going to take a lot of time to learn. I don’t have a plan, hopefully I’ll work it out when I’m over there.”

Well, it is certainly great to see the man who made NASCAR history back in the industry again. This is a sign of the sport making waves globally and being recognized as a bar of skill and determination by racing drivers all over the world.

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