NASCAR insiders break down Ross Chastain’s historic Charlotte win, impressive season

Ross Chastain seems to be turning the corner after earning a big win at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday. On The Teardown podcast, NASCAR insiders Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi shared their thoughts on Chastain’s Coca-Cola 600 win and his strong 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

“The last few weeks, we’ve been saying driver of the year Ross Chastain,” Gluck said. “…He’s having all the success, he’s eighth in points with a pit crew that, no offense, has not been very good.”

Gluck then added that Ross Chastain has the 26th-best pit crew. He also looked at Chastain’s Trackhouse Racing teammates Daniel Suarez and Shane van Gisbergen. Suarez is 30th in points, and van Gisbergen is 33rd.

“Regardless of before this win, he was still having a phenomenal season,” Gluck added. “Now, it’s gotten even better because he just tracked down the most consistent guy all year, the points leader, William Byron, who had dominated this race and used a veteran move to make it happen. Super impressive right now.”

Ross Chastain is becoming a ‘complete race car driver’

Bianchi agreed with Gluck and had some bold things to say about Chastain. “This is a herculean effort by Ross Chastain,” he said. “…What Chastain is doing is so impressive. I will argue this is more impressive now what he’s doing than what he was doing in 2022 when he made the Championship Four and almost won the championship.

“…To go to Charlotte and to track down a guy who drives for Hendrick Motorsports and beat him straight up, man, that’s impressive. And to do that in a backup car. Wow.” Bianchi also said that Chastain has cleaned up some of the mistakes that made made in the past, which is giving him the opportunity to do big things this season.

“He’s getting the finishes to go along with it,” Bianchi stated. He has turned into a complete race car driver.” Chastain has clinched a spot in the playoffs after missing it last year. Along with the victory at Charlotte, the 32-year-old has finished in the top 10 seven times in 13 races.