Chastain Locks Down Full Xfinity Schedule for 2019 Season

By David Morgan, Associate Editor

The rollercoaster ride that has been the offseason for Ross Chastain continued on Thursday as he was confirmed to have a full-time schedule in the Xfinity Series for 2019 with both JD Motorsports and Kaulig Racing.

Chastain was originally scheduled to race full-time for Chip Ganassi Racing in their No. 42 entry, but sponsorship woes forced the team’s closure and left the Alva, Florida native without a ride in NASCAR’s second tier series.

Fast forward to Thursday when Blake Koch, who was going to drive the No. 4 car for JD Motorsports this season, elected to take a step back from making his return to the cockpit and instead focus on his business, Filter Time. That left a spot open for Chastain to return to the car he piloted to a 10^th place points finish last season.

Excited to see @RossChastain back in the 4 car. I need to give @FilterTime 💯 of my attention at this time. A HUGE opportunity has developed for my business and I will be able to share it with you soon. pic.twitter.com/mapIGwQNJs

— Blake Koch (@BlakeKochRacing) January 31, 2019

Chastain will drive 30 of the 33 Xfinity Series races for JD Motorsports this season, filling in the other three with a second Kaulig Racing entry, driving their No. 10 car at the season-opening race at Daytona, along with Chicagoland on June 29 and Texas on November 2.

“We here at JD Motorsports are looking forward to having Ross back in the No. 4 in 2019. He has shown his ability to wheel a racecar time and time again while competing against some of the top teams in the sport. I am excited to see how far the improvements made in the off season will take the No. 4 car this year.” said team owner, Johnny Davis.

“I’m thrilled for this opportunity with Kaulig Racing,” said Chastain. “We’ve had quite the rollercoaster of emotions in the off-season, but I am really looking forward to competing for wins this season. It is also a great honor to have a new sponsor on board with Nutrien Ag Solutions. Partnering with Nutrien Ag Solutions is a natural fit for me with my family’s legacy as watermelon farmers, and I’m excited to represent their growers and employees.”

Chastain has driven four full-time seasons in the Xfinity Series, with last year’s campaign being his most successful, scoring his first career win, as well as three top-five finishes, eight top-10 finishes, 272 laps led, and one pole.

In addition to his Xfinity Series duties, Chastain will also drive a full-time Cup Series schedule for Premium Motorsports, along with select Truck Series starts for Niece Motorsports in their No. 45 truck.