Ross Chastain substitutes for Ryan Newman at Las Vegas

Ross Chastain, May 2019
credit: Debbie Ross/Skirts and Scuffs

Ross Chastain has a busy weekend ahead at Las Vegas this weekend. Not only will he be piloting the No. 40 Niece Chevy truck on Friday and the No. 10 Chevy Accessories Xfinity Camaro on Saturday, but he got the call to substitute for Ryan Newman in the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Wyndham Rewards Ford.


Wednesday afternoon, the racing community breathed a collective sigh - and shed a few happy tears, too - over the sight of Ryan Newman walking out of Halifax Medical Center with a daughter holding each hand. Shortly afterward, RFR president Steve Newmark announced that there is no timetable for Newman’s return, so Chastain will take the wheel despite his ties to Chevrolet.

In a press release, Newmark spoke of the team’s appreciation for the cooperation of the other teams in obtaining Chastain’s services.

“The NASCAR community has long prided itself on being a close-knit family. That is never more evident than during these types of moments, and we want to express our appreciation to everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing as well as Kaulig Racing for allowing Ross to fill in for Ryan in the No. 6 on such short notice.”

Four of the 27-year-old Floridian’s 72 career Cup starts are at Las Vegas in admittedly underfunded cars. However, he has a win there in the Xfinity series for Ganassi, so don’t be surprised if he makes the most of his opportunity in a car like the No. 6 and contends for the win.

After the announcement, Chastain tweeted,

No one could ever take the place of Ryan Newman on the track, and I can’t wait to have him back. As we continue to pray for a full and speedy recovery, I’ll do my best to make him and everyone at Roush Fenway Racing proud. #RocketMan https://t.co/Y26pb3rEr2

— Ross Chastain (@RossChastain) February 19, 2020

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