By Caleb Whisler, Staff Wrtier
CHARLOTTE, N.C–Since the checkered flag fell on the 2018 NASCAR season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the offseason has been one of trial and tribulation for Ross Chastain.
On Nov. 9, Chip Ganassi Racing announced that Chastain would be joining their organization full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with an expanded partnership from DC Solar.
On. Dec. 18, FBI agents raided DC Solar CEO Jeff Carpoff’s home and the company’s headquarters in California. At that point, Chastain understood that the inevitable would happen.
On Jan. 4, the inevitable moment happened. Chip Ganassi Racing announced that they would be shutting down their Xfinity program, leaving Ross and countless others without a job.
According to Chastain, Ganassi and chief operating officer Doug Duchardt did everything they could to keep the team operating.
“As soon as I found out what happened out west, I knew it was inevitable for that to happen. Personally, in my mind, I knew that they were going to try, and they did. Chip and Doug tried everything they could to keep that deal going,” Chastain told reporters.
“I talked with Chip back-and-forth throughout the process. He didn’t want to do it. It was going to affect so many people. He knew that. It affected him. He was the ultimate loser here in Charlotte for it. Nobody wanted it to happen, man.”
The entire situation for Chastain has been frustrating, but “part of it.” He took a break away from social media and alluded that sometimes the days have been “dark.”
“Early on there was a couple of dark days following everything that went down. I’m not going to shy away from it,” Chastain said before clarifying his statement. “It wasn’t dark, that’s probably going to come across wrong when you write it down now that I think about that. I don’t want people to get the wrong impression, but it was a big deal.
“(The Carpoffs) did a lot for me. They changed my life. I’ll forever be thankful for them and Chip, Felix (Sabates), Rob (Kauffman) and everybody involved with CGR and all the people in the office, they still stand behind me.
With everything that has happened, Chastain has leaned on his Christian faith and believes that everything happened for a reason and that God has a bigger plan for him and his life.
“There is a bigger plan in all this. I don’t want to do this because people will think I am doing it for the publicity, but God has a bigger plan. I am good with it. I had to accept that. I am good with whatever that plan is. It is already laid out for me.
“I will follow His will and Word. I had to rely on that a lot. I did before. It’s not like I rely on my faith more now than I did before, but the words mean a lot more now. I am a believer. I just have to move on and keep pushing.”
Despite the situation, Chastain is still under contract with Ganassi. The 26-year-old driver will be racing in NASCAR’s premier series with Jay Robinson and Premium Motorsports.
In Xfinity, Chastain is still talking to potential prospects, but will ultimately declare points within the series.
In the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, Chastain will co-driver the No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado with Reid Wilson for Niece Motorsports. The number of Truck races on his schedule are still to be determined.
“I am still working on everything. I feel good on everything with Jay (Robinson) and Premium with the No. 15 car. Obviously, we know this business is all about and it’s all about the money side and I don’t shy away from that.
“I know people don’t like to talk about it, but we have to race more money for that chartered car to run how we want to run and to keep me in the seat. That is what we are working on to make sure that happens. In Xfinity, we are still working on all that. We have handshake galore.”