Ross Chastain enters the 2023 NASCAR season with a chip on his shoulder after coming close to the Cup Series championship last year. Chastain, 30, finished second behind Team Penske driver Joey Logano.
The driver of Trackhouse Racing’s No. 1 car also faces a contract year as he ranks among NASCAR’s top free agents for next season. Alongside Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, they have a strong free agency class.
However, the latest news coming from the NASCAR world could help Chastain’s next contract as two prominent names from the free agency class leave the board Wednesday morning ahead of the 2023 Daytona 500.
Related: Ross Chastain enters season as NASCAR’s top free agent for 2024
Ross Chastain’s future becomes a major topic with Alex Bowman and Daniel Savez extensions
As if Chastain’s potential free agency wasn’t a big enough topic, the topic has only gained momentum after the latest news. The 30-year-old driver’s teammate, Daniel Suarez, signed a multi-year extension with Trackhouse Racing.
Suarez, 31, has finally found a home and no longer has to worry about show jumping. It’s been a long road so far, but the driver of the No. 99 Trackhouse Racing car can make a strong commitment to the organization for years to come.
Meanwhile, Alex Bowman has signed a three-year contract extension this will keep him with Hendrick Motorsports through the 2026 season. Bowman, 29, now completes the Hendrick Motorsports lineup as each driver has already signed a lengthy extension.
This all comes back to Chastain in a significant way. For organizations looking to improve their rosters, the free agency pool was emptied after Suarez and Bowman’s contract extensions were announced.
Chastian and Hamlin remain at the top but Martin Truex Jr., Aric Almirola, Michael McDowell, Justin Haley, Harrison Burton, Todd Gilliland, Ty Dillon, Corey LaJoie, Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece likely round out the rest of the list.
Of these drivers, Truex and Almirola will remain on their teams or retire while the rest of them besides McDowell are young or have little success thus far. The depth of NASCAR’s silly season has already taken a major hit.
Therefore, would teams be more desperate to pry Chastain away from Trackhouse Racing? Hamlin likely staying in the Toyota camp thanks to 23XI Racing, he is the only realistic option for other teams, like Stewart-Haas Racing.
With Chastain removed from the board, the major movement for top drivers is already complete. The Florida native has spoken about his desire to stay with Trackhouse Racing, but you never know with the NASCAR business.
