Ross Chastain - CRC Brakleen 175 Race Preview
Race: CRC Brakleen 175 (70 laps / 175 miles) | Race 14 of 23
Track: Pocono Raceway
Location: Long Pond, Pennsylvania
Date & Time: Friday, July 12th | 5:30 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | Motor Racing Network (MRN) | Sirius XM Ch. 90
No. 45 Mar-Del Watermelon Association Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Ross Chastain | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
- Chastain Returns: Ross Chastain will make his fourth start of the season behind the wheel of the No. 45 Chevrolet on Friday. Chastain hasn't been in the seat since North Wilkesboro as he shared the ride with Kaden Honeycutt and Connor Mosack. He picked up the team's ninth win at Darlington Raceway in May, making it two top-fives in three starts. Ross will drive this truck in next week's race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park for his last planned start of the year with Niece Motorsports.
- Chastain's Pocono Stats: In five Truck Series starts at Pocono, Chastain has gathered one win, two top-fives, and four top-10 finishes. His win in 2019 marked Niece Motorsports' third NCTS victory in team history which capped off his three-win season. He has also made five Xfinity Series starts at the track and finished in the runner-up position in 2020. Through eight Cup Series starts, Chastain's best finish at the track is 13th, which came last year.
- Gould's Pocono Stats: Phil Gould has also made five Truck Series starts on top of the box at Pocono, highlighted by two top-fives including his win with Chastain in 2019. Last year, Gould's team finished 11th with Carson Hocevar at the wheel. Gould made three starts here in the Xfinity Series, posting a best run of 14th with Ryan Reed in 2018.
- On the Truck: Chastain's No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from the Mar-Del Watermelon Association and will promote the "Eat Mardelicious Watermelon" campaign.
- Recapping Nashville: A great showing by Kaden Honeycutt was cut short due to mechanical gremlins in Nashville. Honeycutt's AutoVentive / Precision Vehicle Logistics Chevrolet was fast - having qualified eighth and climbed as high as third before a rear gear seal went bad on his truck. He was credited with a 33rd-place finish after having spent numerous laps behind the wall.
- Owner Points Outlook: The No. 45 team's rear gear issue in Nashville significantly affected their position in the owner points, dropping from seventh to ninth overall. With three races left in the regular season, their primary focus is on maintaining their spot in the Playoffs to fight for the owners' championship. Entering Pocono, the team has a three point gap to the cutoff line.
- Quoting Chastain: With there being only two starts left in the Truck Series for you, how bad do you want to go back to victory lane before your season ends?
“Everyone on the crew wants to make it back to victory lane, but I think for us on the No. 45 team, the most important thing we need to do is execute in both of these races to get as many points as we can. We all love winning, but for me, what would feel just as good would be to keep Al (Niece) in the fight for the owner’s championship. I’m not able to run any truck races during the Playoffs, so my goal is to help with some good runs before I pass the baton off to Kaden (Honeycutt) and Connor (Mosack) as they finish out the year.”
- Quoting Gould: Pocono's a track where you can make different strategy calls at, but with your points position in mind, how aggressive can you truly be?
“Well, since Ross is driving for us, I think we can be really aggressive with the strategy. Since he’s racing for Cup points, even if he was to go out there and win a stage, we wouldn’t be able to get any of the Playoffs points from it, so I think we have to do what’s best to be in position to win the race. We’ll basically be no holds barred there in trying to capture another win and make up points.”
About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2024, Niece Motorsports enters its ninth season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as X @NieceMotorsport.
About Mar-Del Watermelon Association: Established in 1965, the Mar-Del Watermelon Association is an organization that works to increase demand for Maryland and Delaware watermelons and the agriculture industry for their farmers, brokers, and industry suppliers. The voluntary, elected board of directors strives to make a positive difference in the business and lives of its members while working closely with National Watermelon Association and National Watermelon Promotion Board.
