As a NASCAR Cup Series driver, Ross Chastain is not allowed to run Saturday’s Camping World Truck Series event at Watkins Glen International. That does not mean a Chastain will not be in the #45 Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports: on Wednesday, Niece announced his younger brother Chad Chastain will make his NASCAR début in the truck.
The younger Chastain, born seven years after his Cup-driving brother, mainly competes in short tracks in his native Florida and the southeastern United States in series such as the Florida Pro Truck Series and World Series of Asphalt. In 2015, he won the FASCAR Pro Truck and Pro Late Model track championships at DeSoto Speedway, followed by the Pro Late Model title at 4-17 Southern Speedway a year later.
“I was excited to get the call to come race with Niece Motorsports in this great ‘Protect Your Melon’ Chevrolet,” Chastain stated. “I’m thankful to everyone at Niece Motorsports for their hard work and our great partners with Buckle up New York and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. This will definitely be a new challenge, but I’m so excited for the opportunity and will do my best to make the most of it.”
Ross was initially supposed to race at WGI, but was barred from doing so as NASCAR rules prohibit Cup drivers from running the final race of the Truck regular season and the following playoffs. The development prompted him to share a meme of Bart from The Simpsons writing “I will pay closer attention to the NASCAR rules.” on the chalkboard. The news comes a day after he was announced as joining Trackhouse Racing Team for the 2022 Cup season.
“I guess a Chastain will get to buckle up and drive a Silverado this weekend,” quipped Ross in a social media video.
The Niece #45 has been driven by multiple names in 2021 including the older Chastain, Brett Moffitt, Bayley Currey, Erik Darnell, and Jett Noland. The entry is twenty-third in owner points with a best finish of ninth at Atlanta by Moffitt.
