2025 TRACKHOUSE RACING ADVANCE – DARLINGTON

August 28, 2025
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MEDIA RELEASE/Trackhouse Racing – Photos: supplied

NASCAR Playoffs Begin in Darlington

Chastain & Van Gisbergen Take First Steps Toward Title

Suárez Aims for Victory Lane in Final 10 Races

NASCAR holds the first of 10 Playoff races with the Southern 500 Sunday evening at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

The race marks the first steps for Trackhouse Racing drivers Shane van Gisbergen and Ross Chastain as they attempt to win their first NASCAR Cup Series title. Fourteen other drivers have the same goal.

NASCAR will eliminate four of those drivers from the playoffs every three races until the final four drivers will battle for the championship in a winner-take-all race at Phoenix (Avondale, Ariz.) Raceway on Nov. 2.

Trackhouse driver Daniel Suárez isn’t part of the playoffs, but his racing season is far from over. He’ll look to get to victory lane in the final 10 races and if he does, he will have secured a victory in three of his five years at Trackhouse Racing.

Shane Van Gisbergen chats:

Darlington is a track like no other, what is going through your mind as you prepare for the Playoffs to start this weekend?

“Darlington is one of my favorite ovals, but the next three races aren’t going to be easy. We are in a decent spot and have earned some nice playoff points, which is cool, but now we have to execute; no mistakes and get good results every week. That will help us achieve our goal.”

What makes Darlington one of your favorite ovals?

“It’s just cool! You drive into the track and feel such a cool vibe, and everyone is happy to be there. But the challenge of the track, how slippery it is, how you have to run the wall and the dynamic of the racing, I always enjoy it.”

First Playoff Race: Shane van Gisbergen begins his quest for his first NASCAR Cup Series Championship this weekend at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Van Gisbergen enters this weekend’s race sixth in the Playoff Standings, 16 points above the cutoff line.
Darlington, Earlier this Season: Although Darlington is one of the most difficult tracks on the circuit, Van Gisbergen scored a respectable 20th-place finish at the South Carolina speedway in May.
Last Weekend at Daytona: Van Gisbergen ran up front much of the race, leading six laps, but struggled in the closing laps to work through traffic amid some frantic racing. Van Gisbergen finished 16th, his best Cup Series finish at Daytona.
Rookie Records: Van Gisbergen now holds the record of most wins by a Sunoco Rookie in a single season (four). The Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International victory makes Van Gisbergen the fastest driver to five Cup Series wins since Dan Gurney in 1968. Following his Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway win, Van Gisbergen became the first driver since Jeff Gordon to win three consecutive road course Cup races from the pole. The Auckland, New Zealand native is the only driver not from the United States to win at least four NASCAR Cup Series races.
Four Wins on the Season: Van Gisbergen’s Watkins Glen victory ties him with Denny Hamlin for most Cup Series victories in the 2025 season.
Two-Time Inaugural Race Winner: Van Gisbergen has etched himself into the NASCAR history books by winning two inaugural NASCAR Cup Series races. The New Zealand native captured the win in the first-ever Mexico City race in June, and in 2023, Van Gisbergen won his debut Cup Series race with Trackhouse’s PROJECT91 at the Chicago Street Race.
Winning Crew Chief: After this month’s win at Watkins Glen, Stephen Doran is now a four-time winning crew chief. Doran’s first win as a Cup Series Crew Chief in June at Mexico City with Van Gisbergen. Doran is in his first season as Van Gisbergen’s crew chief on the No. 88 Chevrolet and his second year as a crew chief at the Cup level.
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Meet SVG: Van Gisbergen will sign autographs at the Trackhouse Racing Merchandise Trailer located in the Fan Zone at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sunday – wristband required.
Multiyear Extension: What began as a one-off PROJECT91 race in 2023, continued as a successful Xfinity Series campaign in 2024 and turned into a record-breaking NASCAR Cup Series run in 2025, will continue for years to come as Shane van Gisbergen and Trackhouse Racing announced a multiyear contract extension. The agreement will keep the former V8 Supercars driver at Trackhouse Racing.

SVG Vlog Daytona

Everyone really liked the Nashville Vlog so did another one for the Daytona 400, last regular season race before the playoffs! 😀 Finished P16 with a straight car so it was awesome to get the ‪@redbull‬ #88 out the front and lead some laps. Feeling like we’re finding our feet, looking forward to the next few weeks 😀 #NASCAR

SVG Visits Coastal Carolina University ahead of the Southern 500

Chastain Notes:

You’re a grinder. Do you think that serves you well in the Playoffs?

“I think it does. I think in general in life it helps. I’m surprised more people don’t just keep showing up and working. They kind of just write it off before it’s done, whether that’s racing or in business. I’ve learned from my mistakes trying to grab stage points at Talladega in a really high risk situation. Yeah, I want to keep grinding and get stage points but its also okay to not get them and keep air in my tires. Learning from my mistakes is probably the biggest thing I’ve tried to look back on. It comes up quick whenever you’re actually out there, but trying to just minimize.”

How do you feel about your chances in the Playoffs?

“I’ll let you know after practice and qualifying on Saturday in Darlington. I think that’ll set the tone for us of what we’re going be able to do. Speed cures everything, and if we can go down to Darlington and go fast, a lot of things will take care of themselves. Although we don’t have a lot of points built up, it’ll be a lot easier if we’re fast. That’s just going to solve so much.”

Busch Light Black Stallion: This weekend at the Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, fans will have to be on the lookout for the Busch Light paint scheme on Ross Chastain’s No. 1 car. A fierceness fueled by horsepower will be approaching the starting line – be sure not to miss Chastain’s lightning fast presence on the track! Plus, the final show of the Busch Light Summer Music Series will be taking place on Sunday with country music singer, Kip Moore, performing his breakout #1 hit, “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck” and more.
250 Cup Career Starts: When Chastain takes the green flag in Sunday night’s race at Darlington, it’ll mark his 250th Cup start. The Florida native made his first Cup start in June 2017 at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway. The Chevrolet driver’s first full-time Cup season was in 2021 driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. Since then, he’s amassed six wins, two pole awards and has led 1,774 laps.
Chastain at Darlington: Chastain will make his 13th Cup Series start this weekend at the South Carolina track. In his four most recent Cup starts at the historic venue, Chastain has finished seventh or better three times. In last year’s summer race, he led three laps on the way to a fifth-place finish.
Darlington Winner: Chastain visited victory lane at the track “Too Tough to Tame” last May in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race.
Meet Chastain: On Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, Chastain will sign autographs at the South Carolina Highway Safety booth located in the Fan Zone – wristband required. At 2:10 p.m. ET, Chastain will sign autographs at the Trackhouse Racing merchandise hauler located in the Fan Zone – wristband required and distribution begins on Friday.
Listen to Chastain: On Saturday at Noon, Chastain will join the Motor Racing Network booth to call the 147-lap CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race.
Last Weekend at Daytona: After rain cancelled qualifying on Friday at Daytona, NASCAR set the starting lineup by the rulebook, giving Chastain the 19th-place starting spot for the final regular season race. In the first stage, Chastain finished second. He led three times for four laps and scored a thrilling victory in Stage 2, his 14th-career stage victory.
Crew Chief: Chastain and crew chief Phil Surgen have worked together since 2021. The duo is the third longest active driver and crew chief pairing.
Most Wins for No. 1 Car in Cup Series: The No. 1 car has been to victory lane six times with Chastain since 2022, the most wins by a driver with that number. Jamie McMurray previously held the record with four victories in the No. 1 car.

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