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Ross Chastain cracked a sly grin as he filed a complaint with Nashville Superspeedeway general manager Matt Greci about the decision to make the NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400 a night race.
Chastain threw a celebration party for the ages at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge after winning the race in 2023. Chastain's No. 1 Chevrolet is sponsored by Tootsie's.
"I have a question," Chastain asked Greci on May 7 during a promotional event at Gibson Garage. "Did you ever take into account my time at Tootsie's after the race? You plan these night races, you're cutting into my time at Tootsie's on Broadway."
Chastain, of course, was joking about not wanting to race at night. Most drivers prefer races under the lights, especially when summer is approaching like it will be for the Cracker Barrel 400 on June 1 at 6 p.m. CT. The race previously started at 2:30 p.m.
If Chastain, known for his aggressive driving and fun-loving personality, wins again in the fifth annual race, he vowed to do whatever it takes to match the celeration that started in victory lane in 2023 and carried over at Tootsie's.
Chastain started celebrating before he crossed the finish line in his first win of the 2023 season at Nashville Superspeedway after leaving Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin in his dust.
"It was an incredible weekend," Chastain said. "We qualified on the pole, our first pole for me as a driver and our first pole for us as a company (Trackhouse Racing Team). Then we go out and win the race. At the end of the race we drove from third to first past two guys that I really like beating, the 11 and 19 cars. So that felt really good. Those are the memories as a competitor that stick out."
ROSS CHASTAIN RACES AT FAIRGROUNDS: How NASCAR drivers Ross Chastain, Josh Berry finished in Broadway 150 at Nashville Fairgrounds
ROSS CHASTAIN WINS AT NASHVILLE: NASCAR race replay: Ross Chastain wins Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway
Hamlin said he intentionally wrecked Chastain earlier that season at Phoenix seeking revenge for previous encounters with Chastain. Truex and Chastain got into a post-race argument at Darlington about a month before the Nashville race when their cars made contact causing Truex to spin out.
After the celebration in victory lane Chastain asked Trackhouse owner Justin Marks to allow the entire team to celebrate at Tootsie's, even if it meant holding up the chartered airplane's scheduled departure.
"We fly home after the races; it's the pit crew, the road crew, the engineers, the sponsors, the hospitality folks, everybody gets on one plane and we fly back to North Carolina," Chastain said. "I was in victory lane begging our management team and Justin to please hold the plane overnight and if they wanted to stay give everybody the option."
Marks agreed and everyone from the pilots to the pit crew stayed to party.
"We got hotel rooms that we barely slept in," Chastain said. "Tootsie's was great. Some of our guys got with the house band on the drums and we were singing. A lot of the people at Tootsie's had no idea who we were, but we were telling everybody who we were and that we had won and we had a good time."
In 2024 Chastain joined fellow NASCAR Cup driver Josh Berry from Hendersonville in the inaugural Rackley Roofing Battle of Broadway 150 late model race at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
Berry has committed to run again on May 29 (7 p.m.) in the race, but Chastain said he won't likely return.
The two Cup drivers found themselves battling each other last year with Chastain finishing fourth and Berry fifth.
"I want to race in it (Battle of Broadway 150), I'm just not sure I can swing it this time," Chastain said. "But if we're in town in time I'll be other there to watch. I love what (race promotor) Bob Sargent and that ASA Stars Series is doing."
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Nashville race: Ross Chastain on Tootsie's celebration in 2023
Continue reading...
Chastain threw a celebration party for the ages at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge after winning the race in 2023. Chastain's No. 1 Chevrolet is sponsored by Tootsie's.
"I have a question," Chastain asked Greci on May 7 during a promotional event at Gibson Garage. "Did you ever take into account my time at Tootsie's after the race? You plan these night races, you're cutting into my time at Tootsie's on Broadway."
Chastain, of course, was joking about not wanting to race at night. Most drivers prefer races under the lights, especially when summer is approaching like it will be for the Cracker Barrel 400 on June 1 at 6 p.m. CT. The race previously started at 2:30 p.m.
If Chastain, known for his aggressive driving and fun-loving personality, wins again in the fifth annual race, he vowed to do whatever it takes to match the celeration that started in victory lane in 2023 and carried over at Tootsie's.
Beating Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin made Nashville win special for Ross Chastain
Chastain started celebrating before he crossed the finish line in his first win of the 2023 season at Nashville Superspeedway after leaving Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin in his dust.
"It was an incredible weekend," Chastain said. "We qualified on the pole, our first pole for me as a driver and our first pole for us as a company (Trackhouse Racing Team). Then we go out and win the race. At the end of the race we drove from third to first past two guys that I really like beating, the 11 and 19 cars. So that felt really good. Those are the memories as a competitor that stick out."
ROSS CHASTAIN RACES AT FAIRGROUNDS: How NASCAR drivers Ross Chastain, Josh Berry finished in Broadway 150 at Nashville Fairgrounds
ROSS CHASTAIN WINS AT NASHVILLE: NASCAR race replay: Ross Chastain wins Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway
Hamlin said he intentionally wrecked Chastain earlier that season at Phoenix seeking revenge for previous encounters with Chastain. Truex and Chastain got into a post-race argument at Darlington about a month before the Nashville race when their cars made contact causing Truex to spin out.
Ross Chastain partied all night after Nashville win
After the celebration in victory lane Chastain asked Trackhouse owner Justin Marks to allow the entire team to celebrate at Tootsie's, even if it meant holding up the chartered airplane's scheduled departure.
"We fly home after the races; it's the pit crew, the road crew, the engineers, the sponsors, the hospitality folks, everybody gets on one plane and we fly back to North Carolina," Chastain said. "I was in victory lane begging our management team and Justin to please hold the plane overnight and if they wanted to stay give everybody the option."
Marks agreed and everyone from the pilots to the pit crew stayed to party.
"We got hotel rooms that we barely slept in," Chastain said. "Tootsie's was great. Some of our guys got with the house band on the drums and we were singing. A lot of the people at Tootsie's had no idea who we were, but we were telling everybody who we were and that we had won and we had a good time."
Ross Chastain not expected to race at Nashville Fairgrounds
In 2024 Chastain joined fellow NASCAR Cup driver Josh Berry from Hendersonville in the inaugural Rackley Roofing Battle of Broadway 150 late model race at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
Berry has committed to run again on May 29 (7 p.m.) in the race, but Chastain said he won't likely return.
The two Cup drivers found themselves battling each other last year with Chastain finishing fourth and Berry fifth.
"I want to race in it (Battle of Broadway 150), I'm just not sure I can swing it this time," Chastain said. "But if we're in town in time I'll be other there to watch. I love what (race promotor) Bob Sargent and that ASA Stars Series is doing."
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Nashville race: Ross Chastain on Tootsie's celebration in 2023
Continue reading...
